Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Scar
by Shikidara
Summary: In this alternate history, Katara uses her vial of spirit water to heal Zuko's scar; in turn, Zuko is convinced to aid the entire team in escaping from Ba Sing Se, Aang being killed in the avatar state in the process. From there, they must revive Aang and deliver him to his destiny.
1. The Avatar State

Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Scar

Chapter 1: The Avatar State

"Oh no...no, no, no! He's not waking up! Where's the spirit water...?" Katara asked as she scrambled for her vial.

"Put it down, you already used it on me...I ruin everything I'm involved with..." Zuko lamented.

"This can't be happening...this has to be some type of dream! Aang can't be dead! He's going to come back. He has to."

"Katara...you're just going to have to accept the fact that he isn't coming back," Sokka said.

"HE CAN'T BE DEAD! THE FIRE NATION CAN'T WIN!"

"Twinkle Toes really ate it, didn't he?" Toph said.

"THIS ISN'T A JOKE, TOPH! HE'S NOT WAKING UP, BUT HE HAS TO! This is sordid...what are we going to do without him?"

"We honor his memory, we fight. We keep on fighting, until all of us are dead. That's what he would want," Zuko stated.

"And for what? We're still going to lose; Aang was the last beacon of hope. Now that he's gone, we'll just have to wait for another avatar to come around; we raise him or her, and he or she can fight the Fire Lord!" Toph exclaimed.

"...you don't get it, do you, Toph? He was in the avatar state. Do you know what happens to those that are killed in the avatar state?"

"I'm not the expert on this, Sokka, _you are_. _You_ worry about stuff like that; I'm just the earthbending instructor."

"No, I refuse to believe what I'm hearing. This. Can't. Be. Happening! Are you actually trying to tell me that we're never going to have another?" Katara queried.

"...yes. Sorry, Katara...I think the Fire Nation just won the war."

"Stop talking like that, Sokka. The Fire Nation didn't win anything, they may have Ba Sing Se, but most of the world is still free."

"That scar is the reason we're in this predicament! If I'd just used my head—"

"I know, I know, but there must be _some_ place where we can get more of the water you need."

"There is...but it'll take us an entire season to get there! And we only have one season left..."

"We don't have Aang. Won't take as long because of that. ...don't forget the invasion, too."

"What invasion?" Zuko asked.

"...should we tell him?" Sokka asked the others.

"He came along with us, didn't he? No secrets, it's not like he can tell anyone, anyway," Toph said.

"Okay, Zuko, new member of Team...Sort of Avatar, the invasion, as it is called, is the surprise attack on the Fire Nation that will take place on the Day of Black Sun..."

"A solar eclipse!"

"Precisely. On this day, the Earth Kingdom and...woah, no Earth Kingdom anymore; this complicates things..."

"Just continue. Tell me what you have planned, I can probably help."

"Well, anyway, maybe a ragtag team and our group will stage an invasion, attacking the Fire Lord when he is most vulnerable."

"This sounds like an awesome plan...who've you told?"

"That may add complications to our little problem...the Earth Kingdom knows."

"So the invasion is history, then. If people in the Earth Kingdom know, it's only a matter of time before my country's forces catch wind of it too. They might already know."

"We've...we've truly lost. Don't you see now, Zuko? The war is over! Aang is dead, the Fire Nation knows about what we've got planned, we might as well lay down and die!"

"Sokka, you keep talking like that and I'm going to give you a scar that Katara won't be able to heal. Anyway, tell me where they've got this spirit water."

"Not like it matters but...North Pole."

"Great, we'll start heading there now."

"Why? Aang's dead. It won't matter when we reach the North Pole; do you know how long it'll take to prep him for the Fire Lord? It'll be like waiting a month for a firecracker to go off!" Katara lamented.

"...you're supposed to be the one that provides that motherly morale, Katara. And besides, this is our only shot. Maybe we can train Aang after we've revived him, see if he can do any damage. It's loads better than nothing. If we give up now, what was the point of fighting in the first place? Aang isn't the reason we fight. A free world is the reason we fight," Toph explained.

"Sigh...whether you like it or not, Katara, we're going to the North Pole. It's our last vestige of hope; Aang never would've wanted us to stop fighting," Sokka said as he directed Appa in the northern direction.

"What about your invasion plan?" Zuko asked.

"No dice this time. No point in a surprise attack if it isn't going to be a surprise. Sure, the Fire Nation may be weak for one day, but they'll have decades upon decades in which they'll be stronger than a hundred suns if we don't get Aang, the avatar, back in action. Think about it like this: if we don't revive Aang, _there will be no hope left_. He is the avatar, and he died in the avatar state. He's our last hope, as always," Sokka said melancholy.

"...I trust you, big brother. ...I suppose I don't have a choice, none of us do."

"We'll get through this, I promise."

Katara was traumatized in every sense of the word. Not only had she watched her friend die right in front of her eyes, she witnessed first-hand the destruction of the rebellion that they'd led for more than half a year. Their victory-march was completely decimated, the remnants faltering to the ground in the forms of belligerent fire, some of which would be used to track down their now decrepit search party turned-caravan to the north. They had little time, and little to no pit-stops could afford to be made.

Not that it mattered, though; Katara was spot-on about the amount of time it would take to traverse the half the planet and reach the North Pole without attracting any Fire Nation attention. Even though the avatar was dead, they were still international criminals; Azula wouldn't relent in her search for them: _no loose ends_. Zuko was adamant about the fact that Azula would stop at nothing to find the remaining members of Aang's team; it was almost as if they were going to have to fight an entire army of firebenders empowered by Sozin's Comet on each day.

"How long do you estimate it'll take?" Zuko asked.

"Well, lucky for us, our new firebending instructor...we're pretty close to the North Pole. Bad news, though...Fire Nation troops are stationed all throughout the mountains, loading into Ba Sing Se. We can't go over the ocean to the northeast; Appa needs food too."

"Sokka, you _do_ realize that if the Fire Nation sees us, as well as the direction we're heading in, they'll know that we're heading towards the North Pole, right? I'm certain the people there can't handle another invasion...especially one within the proximity of six months."

"Katara's right...we'll have to be sneaky. If my sister catches whiff of any of our movements, she's sure to follow. _No loose ends_."

"Perfect, we'll catch some disguises once we're out of the city limits and be on our way! The Fire Nation'll never know what hit 'em! Team Avatar's back in action!"

"Glad that you're so upbeat, Sokka, we'll need it...between you and me, you're going to have to be the center of morale for now, Katara looks...defeated," Zuko inferred.

"I know...we'll all have to console her for a little while, until we can get Aang back. That reminds me, we need to find some way of hiding his body. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what'll happen if _anyone_ gets a hold of it."

"Sokka...thanks for so readily accepting me onto the team. I won't let you down!"

"I know you won't...things are too important for that to happen now. This is why we can't keep secrets from each other. Do you understand?"

"Definitely!"

Azula was ecstatic, she'd never felt this euphoric at any point in her life thus far. She'd done the impossible; she'd killed the avatar. Whether she knew about the avatar state's inherent weakness was irrelevant at this point; the avatar would be a passing moment in war history to the Fire Nation, a footnote before the country's eventual conquest of the entire planet. Soon, she would be Fire Lord, instituting a number of policies and laws to keep the citizens of her new world in chains, unable to free themselves from the seemingly righteous tyranny of the now embezzled Fire Nation.

Her country would make great strides in technology, the arts, science, writing, and a plethora of other fields. She would show the entire world that being a citizen of the Fire Nation made one better than all the rest, in its own right. She would exemplify the strength and veracity of the newly crowned empress of the world, all succeeding her dangerous and methodical father.

"Congratulations on your victory, ma'am," a member of the Dai Li complimented.

"Victories are claimed over altercations that require effort. This required folly security measures and an easily swayed underground agency. I want to return to the Fire Nation as soon as I possibly can. Father will have new orders that I wish to carry out to receive the ultimate victory."

"Yes, your highness. What about the survivors, though?"

"That reminds me. Bring me Iroh."

"Your hubris will be your downfall, my _niece_. I shudder at even deeming you a member of my family..."

"You always had faith in little Zuzu...but, then again, you _are_ a traitor to your own people. So I'll make this simple: tell me where they're heading; brainwashing will be in order until you divulge those details to me."

"If you think that I'm going to betray my own friends, like you, you're exorbitantly mistaken. The free world will stop the Fire Nation, you in particular, and the Fire Nation will pay for what it has done."

"You don't even consider your own country a part of you anymore, do you?"

"It was not my country from the moment that first airship landed at an Air temple."

"Bring in more agents for me, Kim, the re-education must come under way..."

A large apparatus was brought into the stone prison cell. Azula stepped out of the room, and let the Dai Li agents set to work on affixing the machine to Iroh's body. Once the device was hooked to Azula's uncle, the agents gradually began turning it on, utilizing the levels of hypnosis to aid in the eventual control of the ostentatious firebender.

"The Fire Nation is the greatest country on Earth. It would be a crime not to serve them."

Once. Twice. Three times. Four times. And so on. Azula sat and watched, growing impatient to her uncle's ingrained tenacity. He was trained to defy the practices of hypnosis, meaning that even greater methods were needed to crack the former decorated general.

"Ma'am, we're going to need to be a little more vehement in our re-education. Perhaps torture is in order?"

"Do what you must. I need the information he harbors."

"Before we continue, do you know any of your uncle's worst fears? If hallucinogens are needed, we can certainly oblige."

"He fears...he fears the world's capitulation from freedom. Hallucinogens _will_ be needed. Retrieve them."

"Yes, your majesty."

The drugs are fetched. They are hastily fed to the poor man, struggling to regain the small amount of sanity he has managed to retain. He will not be able to hold out for much longer, and who can blame him? He knows that he is not far out from revealing the plans of the now damaged posse that Aang has managed to gather. He hopes that they are far away from Ba Sing Se, far removed from the kingdom itself.

"All of the images you are currently viewing can be dispelled if you simply tell me where they are and what they plan to do."

"Never...betray...family!"

"I _am_ your family. I'll grant you amnesty if you comply."

"I'll...never...make...a...deal...with...the...devil!"

"The Fire Nation will rule whether you divulge the information you harbor or not. You simply facilitate or catalyze the process. Just tell me, it'll make the matter worlds easier for me. How about this? I'll protect your nephew."

"Zuko...would die...before handing...anything over to you!"

"Uncle...did you ever know your beloved family member? Did you see his eyes? I did...right before he attacked me. In that instant, I knew exactly what he was feeling: ambivalence, indecisiveness, fear. He knew that if he helped the avatar, not only would he be branded as a much more dangerous criminal than he was already seen; he would be killed on sight. He knew that, and yet he still made his decision. Do you understand why I am telling you this?"

"Unfortunately...I don't."

"Pity, and you're one of the smartest men my country has to offer...he has a chance to come back to the Fire Nation because we both know he wants to. He doesn't want the life of a nomad; he wants to be a prince, he wants to have a lavish lifestyle...he wanted to capture the avatar."

"Is it...not evident...to you...that he has changed?"

"People, _especially_ Zuko, do not change within a matter of months; he took a total 180; I don't expect him to sustain that. Soon, I will capture him, or maybe he'll come to me. One of the two; I know my big brother much better than you ever did. It's a shame I can't kill you; my father won't allow me to. He wants you to be made an example of back in the capital. However...if you do indeed escape...he's granted me full authority to end your miserable existence. Please entertain me and vie for freedom; it will satisfy my blood lust until I get my hands on that little group the avatar formed..."

Azula ordered that Iroh be put to sleep for the time being; the agents did as they were instructed. The next day, a caravan of earthbenders and firebenders set out for the Fire Nation capital; many constraints were put on the decrepit old man to ensure that no escaping would be done. In about half a month's time, he would be back in his old country, one he no longer sees as his home. He knew what was coming, the entire destruction of the world, and it was only three months away; he would do everything in his power to make sure that this would never come to pass. In reality, the capital was just what he needed.


	2. The Mountains

Chapter 2: The Mountains

"This route won't do...Appa'll get tired before we make a marathon's length..." Sokka stated.

"Sokka, we can't land. The entirety of the mountain range is probably crawling with Fire Nation troops. We'll be lucky to survive with the entire group still intact," Zuko said.

"Well...we have to don disguises somehow. We're running low on food, too."

"Zuko...Sokka's right. Besides, we can just hijack a ship, can't we?" Katara asked.

"A Fire Nation ship? Are you insane? Who on Earth _wouldn't_ notice? We're some of the most notorious 'criminals' on this planet right now! It'd have to be quiet-"

"-I can be quiet. What do boats sail in? Water. What am I a bender of? Water. We'll be fine."

"Well, you did hold off those Dai Li agents pretty well-"

"-I know. Now, get us a little lower, Sokka. Once I'm in view, I can cast a fog over a ship, and we can take it."

"On it, captain! My sister's really taking charge back..."

"Shut up a minute. Toph, we'll guide you through."

"What about Momo? And the Earth King?"

"Yes, _what about me?_ I'm assuming I'll be dropped off at the nearest way-point?" the Earth King queried.

Katara ignored everyone once she started doing what she did best. With the fog cast, Appa slowly descended upon the unsuspecting ship. Once the waterbender could see through the fog, she immediately pushed water aboard the iron vessel, swamping any and all passengers on the ship. She made certain that all of the members of the boat were cast overboard, pushed towards the coastline in a convenient tidal wave, and delivered to safety.

Once this was all complete, Appa completed his descending. Once on board, all the members of the team began getting themselves situated, Katara making sure that Aang's body was kept safe and out of sight. All of them were lucky enough to find spare uniforms to wear should any other Fire Nation ship notice their deviant path towards what looked to be the North Pole.

"All of you _do_ realize that ships will notice that we're heading in the wrong direction, right?" Zuko asked.

"Don't worry...Toph can sense when people know or don't know something. You _obviously_ won't be showing up at the entrance of the ship to greet these guys; they can spot a Fire Nation prince from a mile away, even without his scar..." Katara calmly stated.

"Okay, then who _will_ greet the unsuspecting, unwelcomed visitors to the ship?"

"Sokka. He's great at fooling people, good comedian too, when he _doesn't_ want to be..."

"Hey, I do good satires! You try coming up with hilarity on a daily basis whilst saving the world!"

"Duly noted. Oh yeah, you're steering. Zuko's going to help you since he probably knows how to command one of these things."

"You know, little sister, I'm proud of you! You've really taken charge back after our friend's, uh-"

"Not another word, Sokka. ...not another word!"

Katara stormed off. Sokka had known from the beginning of that sentence that he was going to strike a nerve; he persistently questioned himself as to why he continued... Zuko was a bit grief-stricken as well: through all of this, Aang had sort've maintained his title as a sense of vitality for Zuko, even during his tenure of hunting the 112-year-old man. Aang had been sweet, and Zuko had been hateful. This was his way of remedying, redeeming all the sin he'd committed whilst being part of the Fire Nation.

This lead him to an even more lugubrious topic...the subject of his beloved uncle, the only person who had ever truly cared for him up to this moment in time. Sure, his mother was always there when she could be, and Aang was a good friend while Zuko wasn't mindlessly trying to capture or kill him. He knew that he was honoring his uncle's memory by helping the avatar, but it still hurt him deeply to know that he couldn't save the one person he'd trust with his life. Apparently, he couldn't reciprocate that promise like his father-figured uncle could.

"Sokka...I need to tell you something."

"...what is it, Z?"

"Don't call me that."

"Come on, Zuko, you're a team member. You deserve a nickname! You could use one too, especially seeing as how you're so gloomy all the time...brings down the mood."

"...fine! Fine. But that's beside the point. I wanted to tell you that they have my uncle."

"Zuko...if they do happen to have him, why are you telling me this? ...I'm so sorry to say...but your uncle may very well be dead."

"No! Shut up! That isn't possible! I won't let it be possible!"

Out of anger, Zuko started to shoot fire at Sokka, angering the veteran crew member. In light of this, Sokka selected his boomerang, and began attempting to whack Zuko as best he could. After the minor scuffle, which luckily did not attract any passersby, Zuko vehemently apologized and stated that he had to learn how to control his anger.

"_This_ is what our new firebending instructor is going to teach a now deceased Aang? You can't do that, Zuko! You could've severely damaged the ship! You _need_ to get your anger under control!"

"I...I know! I'm just...firebending has always come from my inner anger...Uncle's always told me that it needs to come from serenity or something like that."

"Then how do we get it?"

"Well...there's this temple...but it's hundreds of miles away from here. And we need Aang."

"Fine, but first thing we do after we get Aang is head to this place. We don't have much time-"

"-I know. But something tells me that my Uncle isn't dead. Even though my father was...an asshole, he was a prideful asshole. He wouldn't want Uncle killed. He'd probably stick him in a prison somewhere near him so that he could keep watch over him, and so that he could make an example out of his brother."

"Zuko...we can't go searching for this guy off of a hunch. And besides, even if we were to get him back, it'd have to be after the end of summer; after the autumn solstice, it's going to get a lot harder and hotter to get that close to the Fire Nation, let alone inside it. I'm afraid we're going to have to curtail 'Operation: Bust Uncle Out of Prison.'

"...fine. But we'll need him someday! If anyone can defeat my father...it's him. He's the only other person on this planet willing to fight my father to his or her last breath."

"I wouldn't say that...we have a few options, but if we were to lose them, you'd be right, he's probably the only guy left..."

"Thanks for that, Sokka. By the way, we're about to hit land. We should sound an alarm right about now."

"You get the other members...and control your anger! I can tolerate lash-outs like that, but if you do that to them, they'll cast you asunder."

"Got it, _chief_."

"All of you, don your uniforms! We're probably going to run into a soldier or two, and we have to make our way to the nearest town; the further away from Ba Sing Se, the better!" Sokka exclaims.

"Please don't yell...and don't say the name of that damn city...the one I used to rule..."

"Stop being so prideful. You're lucky you escaped alive," Zuko tragically informs.

"Someone teach this kid a little respect...you're talking to majesty, dirt!"

"OH, that's it-"

Katara is quick to restrain Zuko, but she does so in a strange way.

"You're...you don't have any water! How are you keeping me at bay?!"

"I...I don't know! It was a reflex!"

"The full moon isn't even out yet...how are you doing this?!"

"I told you, I don't know!"

Katara quickly lets go of Zuko, having learned his lesson and kept his anger under control.

"Let me tell you something-"

Zuko is punched in the face before he can inform the king of what he is...or was.

"...I guess I deserved that..."

"Stop making so much noise! I sense soldiers..." Toph states.

"Everyone, act natural...well, act like a Fire Nation subordinate. Your highness, you have to make sure no one sees your face...highness without a scar, that goes for you too. They probably won't know us since we're not royalty or spiritually famous."

"All of you, follow me, I'll be able to tell when we should stop," Toph informs.

The group slowly starts to move down the passageway, finding alternate routes with picket signs that will most likely direct them to one of the nearest cities. Along the way, they spot troops upon troops, companies upon companies of soldiers. They only way they avoid being spotted is because of Katara's ability to create fog over their heads. They slowly make their way up the trail, being careful to make as little sound as possible. This goes well until they meet the first shipment of soldiers striding by on the very same walkway.

"Halt! The Fire Nation is sending troops to the province of Ba Sing Se! All personnel and citizens of any nation are to send themselves to the city to await evaluation by Fire Nation soldiers to remove any undesirables!"

"Well, well, well...if it isn't my favorite private! Liu, how have you been?!" Sokka asks.

"General Feng Shui...is that you? So nice to see you! Just leading this posse of soldiers over to the most protected city on Earth...say, aren't you supposed to be heading in the same direction?"

"Well, I'm just sending these soldiers back to the training camp! I think you should add these guys to the list of undesirables if you ask me..."

"I understand! Anyway, what's with the bodybag?"

"Uh, uh, we lost one on the way here! Guerrilla tactics...but we managed to get most of them!"

"Oh, I'm so sorry...well, you seem very upbeat about it! Always positive, General Feng Shui always was, boys...well, I'll be seeing you! I hope your other soldiers are doing okay over the loss! Nice pet!"

"You got _lucky_ with that name, brother!" Katara yelled.

"Don't scream so loud Katara...you want the entire Earth Kingdom campaign to hear you? Anyway, we can only be so long; Appa's still at the ship, and if it gets searched, we'll lose our bison again, _and _our main mode of transportation."

"It's been half a year, and you still don't think of Appa, one of our best friends, as nothing more than a flying bison?"

"It's not like that...look, I'm just looking at it from an analytical viewpoint. Besides, who knows how long it could take before we reach the nearest port city? These disguises won't do well forever...we need food, fuel, who knows what else?"

"Ugh, fine...Toph, continue to lead the way."

"On it, _Boss_..."

"What did you call me?"

"Oh, you heard..."

Team Avatar continued their journey, being bothered numerous times along the way. All they could hope for at certain instances was whether or not there was a ditch where they could hide the unlucky individuals that suspected them. They hadn't killed yet, and weren't going to start now. Gradually, they made their way through an increment of the mountains, coming across just what they needed: a depot for fuel and food.

"Zuko, you got any money?"

"A little...hold on..."

"You said a little. This is a fortune's worth!"

"Good, now pay for what we need and let's get out before we draw any undue attention."

"Calm down, no one's made us yet. I don't sense anyone coming our way."

"People don't need to come our way...all they need to do is fire at us! Did you see how far away Azula shot Aang from?"

"Don't bring that up, you'll make everyone in the group giddy. Besides, I can't see; way to make the 'cripple' feel bad."

"Sorry, sorry...anyway, get in, get out, that's the plan."

The team bought what they came for and headed back to the ship. The vessel remained untouched, and the group bought what they needed to traverse the ocean leading to the North Pole. They'd be there soon; that was the easy part. The difficult section of that would be waiting for Aang to awaken.

"Alright, everyone. Load up, go to sleep; Zuko and I will take shifts on our way to the destination.

"Sokka...what'll the citizens of the place do when they see the same person that tried to capture _the avatar_?" Zuko asked.

"We'll explain everything! They're bound to accept anything at this point...Fire Nation troops are practically at their doorstep."

"Okay, maybe I should ask a more pertinent question..._what are we going to do when they see a Fire Nation ship approaching their base_?"

"Use your brain. We're going to abandon this ship once we're one mile out from our landing place. It'll be like one of _their_ ships hadn't come anywhere near."

"Right, right...I certainly hope we don't run into an homogeneous ships, then."

"Of course we will, Sokka...we're Team Avatar! We run on bad luck! It's surprising that we've made it this far...no, actually, it isn't. The quintessential reason we've circumvented the Fire Nation in the ways we have is because of Aang-"

"-who is now dead."

"Not permanently dead. Wow, I never thought I'd say something like that."

"It tends to happen when referring to the _avatar_..."

"I suppose so. Look, when it happens, we'll have our costumes on, we'll go through the pleasantries, and we'll be on our way. Nothing of much merit will happen. All that we care about now is the North Pole. If we want it enough, we'll get there."

The night passes by swiftly. When the next day comes, Sokka is the first to address the king, stating that they will land at the edge of Earth Kingdom territory, drop him off, and be on their way. The king is fine with this, as he has his bear friend Bosco to accompany him.

"I'll be a migrant! Always wanted to be one of those. I'm not really for the high life...but, then again, that's all I know. Thanks for the opportunity...and good luck. I...I believe in you guys."

"Do you have a choice?"

"There's always a choice, even if it's a harrowingly painful and cowardly decision at that."

"I'll make sure to take note, _philosopher_. I hope you have a good time traveling!"

"I'll have to, especially with the land infested with the Fire Nation..."

"Looks like that'll have to be put on hold."

"Why?"

"Look."

Fire Nation ships. Five of them, enough to compose a small fleet.

"Katara, we have a problem."

"What is it, Sokka?"

"Just look."

"Oh no...this could get bloody."

"I'm not a murderer. Anyway, how are we going to deal with this? Even if we end up cracking some skulls, we can't handle five ships on our own, not without-"

"Don't say his name. Anyway, I'm sure there's a way we can handle this...think! You're the thinker of the group."

"Fine, fine...we act! That's it. We just go in, act like we're entitled, and walk out. We'll just try not to take off our helmets. You and I can do all the funny stuff, the others will have to hang back so that they don't get spotted."

"And if things don't go our way?"

"...we go ship jumping! You'll take the entire group in water while toppling other ships with your water! Appa can help too!"

"If that's going to be the case, we'll need to be quiet about this. If we attract other soldiers, Azula will know where we're heading."

"Right, right, quiet!"

The ship quickly stops and awaits being boarded. All five quickly station themselves around the seemingly innocuous vessel, awaiting orders as to what to do next. A commander followed by two footmen place themselves onto the team's boat, and immediately inform them of their deviation from orders sent directly from the capital.

"Ships are to station themselves in Ba Sing Se to convey troops and aid or to load goods or services. What are you doing going in the exact opposite direction? Are you all there is on the ship?"

"Sir, we're heading back to the Fire Nation capital. My wife and I are simple vacationers. This ship is a leisurely vessel, commanded by General Feng Shui, who is not currently aboard the vessel. He's relaxing in Ba Sing Se, and gave us the keys to the ship. He said it was alright to do so."

"Feng Shui again...why was he promoted to general?! So irresponsible...alright, carry on. He's lucky I'm a few ranks below him...he could single-handedly cost us the war if he keeps thinking that we're just going to automatically win. Are you friends of his?"

"Indeed, we were! We were once soldiers, retiring at a very young age. We've served our time...good luck out there! And did you hear? The avatar's-"

"I think that's enough, _honey_. We'll be on our way, now. Good luck in Ba Sing Se! Show those earthbenders who's boss!"

"Indeed, we will ma'am! Have a safe trip!"

"I told you not to mention his existence."

"It was for credibility!"

"We seemed to get along just fine. Are you _trying_ to get under my skin?"

"I'm trying not to get us killed!"

"Next time you even _allude_ to his name, I'm going to do whatever I did to Zuko."

"That reminds me, did you figure that out?" Zuko unexpectedly asked.

"I'm not sure what it was-"

"-I am. When you did whatever you did to me, I could feel something in me. Some sort of liquid lurch...I think you controlled my blood."

"No...I can't've...that sounds so...terrible."

"You're a bloodbender."

"No...that isn't possible! Even if I could do something like that, a full moon would be obligatory...I can't've done that..."

"Katara, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You don't see me beating myself up over being able to manipulate metal."

"You're right. You know why? Because metal isn't the same thing as a human being. And just imagine, if I've figured out I can do this, just think of who else has...this is an evil art. Something that should never be practiced."

"In war time, all is far, Katara. I'm glad you used it on me; we can utilize this against others. He would've wanted it."

"Don't tell me what the _avatar_ would've wanted! You didn't know him! You spent a good portion of your life hunting him, probably preparing to kill him!"

"And now look at where we are! Progress has been made! People...people change!"

"Sokka told me about how you lashed out; you do that again, I'll _break your neck with my new technique_."

"I think we all need to calm down! We won't get anything done by biting each other's heads off. Stay cool."

"Enough with the fire puns, Sokka. You may be the funny one in the group, but even jokes can get tiresome sometimes," Toph chimes in.

The ship continues on its seldom merry way. A few days pass by, and they finally reach their destination, what seems to be a zenith for happiness for them. They know what is still to come, though; the lengthy process that follows Aang's revival. It could take weeks for him to wake up, possibly months; they don't have this type of time.

"Well, Earth King, it was nice knowin' ya! Have fun doing...whatever!" Sokka yells.

"I will! Thanks for the food! Bye!"

"Okay, he's gone. How long will it take to reach the North Pole?" Zuko asks.

"Looks like a week, these ships are so slow...but I don't want to strain Appa."

"Fair enough. Do we have the supplies?"

"Sure thing. You had a lot of money in your sack...got us a lot of good stuff, especially _meat_."

"How long will it take to get Aang up and walking?"

"From what Katara's said about this spirit water stuff...he should be out and about the moment he touches the stuff, let alone when his scar does.

"Remember when you said 'It's never that easy?'"

"...yeah..."

"Well...that. Your team's...our team's luck has never been all that great. If it were, well, we'd be talking to Aang right now."

"I know...but I think things tend to work out. You know? Well, we'll all find out once we reach the Northern Water Tribe. Prepare to do _a lot_ of explaining, Zuko! I'm sure everyone will be interested in the tale you have to tell..."


	3. Plans

Chapter 3: Plans

The trip back to the Fire Nation was swift, and it wasn't long before both Azula and her infamous prisoner were in the capital of her beloved country. She had a few plans for what do upon entering the land: the first item on the itinerary was to inform her father of the impending invasion, one of which has now been weakened due to the recent acquisition of the Earth Kingdom itself. The second step was to inform her father of the capture of former general Iroh, and await the information on his punishment. Finally, she was to stand by for orders as to what to do with herself thereafter.

"Father, I have great news..."

"You've brought your brother to me?"

"Even better...the avatar..._is dead_."

"Azula, you do in fact realize that he or she will just be reincarnated now, correct?"

"Ah, but this time, the avatar won't be coming back."

"You didn't."

"Oh, I'm afraid I have..."

"Produce evidence."

"I'm awfully sorry to say that I can't do that, father. But I can do something better for you. I have captured Uncle Iroh."

"I do not consider him my brother. You are not to consider him your uncle."

"Very well, anyway, I was wondering what you were going to do with your newly captured prisoner..."

"That is hardly my concern. Because I trust you, I will take your word for it that he is dead. But, before I fully accept that hardly believable notion, please tell me how you were able to kill an avatar, specifically one that was in the _avatar state_."

"Oh, it's as if it was out of a play...the avatar encased himself in a crystal shield, ensuring that no one would breach his security. Upon entering the famed avatar state, I shot his back with the lightning I've come to harness. Subsequently, he fell to the ground, only being caught by his friend of seemingly Inuit ancestry. Upon looking at this deceased carcass, she began to cry, and Iroh came out of nowhere and began firing at the newly converted Dai Li agents. Through all of this, I could tell, the avatar was dead, and he wouldn't be coming back."

"Such a vivid account...I suppose I will trust your judgment, then. However, if you are unsure about the status of the avatar, I trust that you will do whatever is within your power to eliminate him by any means necessary."

"Of course, father. In light of this, I've decided to hire someone who is adept at making people...disappear. His name is Sai."

"Him again, I see! A rare bird to say the least...firebending...with his mind."

"I couldn't have asked for a better assassin myself, besides me, of course...he has already started searching for any traces of the avatar. And if he indeed is searching for someone akin to his description, Sai will most likely find the group that has been following the avatar for more than half a year now. If anything is almost, if not equally as dangerous as the avatar, it is the team that has aided him in flouting almost every military gesture that the Fire Nation has attempted in these past few months."

"You have been thorough, Azula...I am seriously considering you for the position of Fire Lord once the war is finished. Continue with what you are doing."

"Father...you've not answered one of my questions."

"What else have I missed?"

"...what are you going to do with Iroh? I realize you'd like to make an example of him, but what if he escapes?"

"He won't. He'll be put in a maximum security cell right near the palace so that if he indeed _does_ make any moves, I'll be on it. He will be made an example of, and if anyone dares to betray the Fire Nation again, they will suffer a fate much more severe than banishment or prison time..."

"This reminds me...Father, an invasion must be brought to your attention."

"This is the first I'm hearing of this. What do you mean?"

"Before the the coup of Ba Sing Se was complete, the Earth King told me of an impending invasion of Fire Nation soil on what is said to be the Day of Black Sun..."

"Now that the avatar is dead and the Earth Kingdom defeated, will this invasion still take place?"

"It's difficult to say...which is why I'd suggested putting up lackluster defenses that day. If anyone _does_ come, they'll think that they can just take the capital and win the war. We can swoop in with additional forces once the eclipse is finished and take them prisoner, siphoning any information we can from them."

"Very good thinking, Azula! You are an asset to the Fire Nation, as always..."

"Thank you, Father. Now, I must be on my way; I will station myself in Ba Sing Se and have multiple spies placed throughout the world; if I hear anything about any sort of _Team Avatar, _I will head directly for the disturbance. Have a good day, Father, and may the Fire Nation become even greater than it is."

"Goodbye, Azula, _my only child_."

After the meeting, Azula immediately set out for Ba Sing Se, using one of the fastest ships she could. The vehicle she would be using would taxi her over to the Earth Kingdom's capital in just one week, ample time to hear any news of the movements of her enemies. The war was being won, and Aang was hastily running out of time...

"Mai, Ty Lee, before we go searching for the avatar's friends again, we're going to...take a couple of weeks off."

"A vacation! Are we going to see the cute one from the avatar's group again?"

"If we do, he won't be cute when you're done with him."

"Oh, he'll be more than that when-"

"On sight, you engage. Understand?"

"Ye-yes, Azula..."

"About time we get some R&R. I thought all we had to do was get the little monk, not overthrow a city..."

"Well, thanks to your combined efforts, we've all done just that, myself taking most of the glory for it, though. It's probable that both of you will be honored as heroes once the war is over."

"And you'll be the Fire Lord! Can we order your servants around once you let us live in the palace? Oh, and we're going to travel the world once you come to power, right?! That'd be awesome!"

"Calm down, Ty Lee...honestly, I'll never understand how the both of you always seem to have energy to kill or capture things. I feel like dead weight sometimes, well, no, weight that actually has a metabolism."

"We'll see. The first thing on the itinerary is to capture the avatar's former group of cronies. Once they're safely under lock and key, or dead, the Fire Nation can rest easy. I have a knack for telling when people are going to get in the way of things, and these will not only obstruct our path to victory, they'll probably destroy a little of our caravan on the way."

"That's nice. Where are we going?"

"Ember Island, my father's retreat."

"I remember that place! We'd always play volleyball at the beach, crushing anyone who came our way! Brings back harsh memories of having to chi-block some of the people, though..."

"Yes, a lot of them were sore losers. But, then again, you have to be a player to lose."

Upon Azula's exit, Ozai immediately called a meeting of all his top generals. The information he'd just garnered from a smug Azula was crucial to winning the war, as well as eradicating anyone rebellious belligerents.

"An invasion?" General Li asks.

"Yes, on what is called 'The Day of Black Sun.' They're planning to use it to overthrow the capital, thus weakening, but not destroying the Fire Nation. I never understood why they thought taking the city would automatically throw the Fire Nation into disarray, when over half the planet's land is now under our control."

"With all due respect, Fire Lord Ozai, who is 'they?' The Earth Kingdom is all but completely annihilated. For them to launch a surprise attack against us, they'd have to evade quite a lot of land and an even greater amount of sea for our soldiers not to notice what's afoot."

"An excellent question, general...because of the fall of the Earth Kingdom, I believe that a small guerrilla force is going to be gathered for this day, if they choose to attack at all."

"I believe it is safe to guess that they won't. At this point, Fire Nation defenses have transcended bending boundaries, meaning that even without those capabilities, we'd still be able to dispatch any attack that comes our way, especially a ragtag team of misfits thinking that they can go overthrow an entire country in just one attack."

"I admire your hubris, general, but on this day, I'd like defenses to be lowered. I say this because I want the day to act as a mousetrap. Even if we get _one_ member of the avatar's group, it won't be long until we can glean enough information to decipher exactly where the rest are heading. We'll act ignorant of the entire surprise, and once they're far enough into the mainland, we close in with a new weapon."

"Our airships are fully operational."

"That's a good thing...they will be used well on the day of Sozin's Comet."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"If you haven't already guessed, each airship has a pedestal upon which an ample firebender can stand. On the day the joyous cache of stardust and hellfire graces the atmosphere of our planet, the basic attack of one of our soldiers will be multiplied a thousand- fold. We can use this to destroy both the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, due to the fact that they are not nearly as controlled as the earthbenders now are. With the counter to fire gone, the rebelling earthbenders will have nowhere left to hide, nowhere left to run. We close in and crush them, not even a year after the comet has come and gone. Gentlemen, by this time next year, I will have a new title that rings true throughout all of the land."

"And what appellation might that be, your highness?"

"_The Phoenix King! _General Li, I grant you the rank of 'Commander' for the southern invasion. General Azulon, I do the same to you for the Northern Tribe. If either of you completes your objective before the day is finished, I order you to fly to the Earth Kingdom as quickly as possible and decimate as much as you can. It is likely that you, Azulon, will be the one to completely burn Ba Sing Se to the ground. The rest of you will be subordinates of the two generals; men on the right will serve Azulon, men on the left will serve Li."

"Thank you for the honor, sir!" all generals say.


	4. The Northern Water Tribe

Chapter 4: The Northern Water Tribe

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if Katara bloodbended me, that means that a few of these tribal men are going to do the same, women even."

"Why are you always so giddy? We'll get there, we'll explain what happened. Hell, they probably won't recognize you anyway. Your scar's gone."

"...I keep forgetting about that. The skin isn't tender anymore. ...your sister healed me in ways I'd not thought possible, and the Fire Nation is the most industrialized-"

"-I know what the Fire Nation is. And just like Katara, I'd like not to be reminded about Aang, especially knowing that he could've been saved if you hadn't started complaining about that piece of dark skin."

"You too?! ...I need to get a grip on my anger. Anyway, for your information, it was more than a scar. It was a symbol, an icon of what parental abuse can do to you, both physically _and_ psychologically."

"At least your dad was around for the better part of your life. Mine's been away at war, fighting the soldiers _you've_ sent."

"Okay, just because I'm a citizen...a prince of the Fire Nation, it doesn't mean that I agree with all of the policies my father's sanctioned."

"You mean the 'policies' that your father has probably drafted himself? And his father's father? And _his_ father's father?"

"Okay, okay, I'll lay off. But I want you to understand that-"

"There _is_ nothing to understand, Zuko. If that water hadn't been used on you, Aang might not be conscious, but he'd be alive."

"AND IF IT HADN'T BEEN USED ON ME, I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Sokka quickly drew his boomerang, but it wasn't needed. Zuko instantly knew that he needed to restrain himself.

"...do you really mean that?"

"I...I don't know...look, Sokka, when I get mad...my brain doesn't think straight, and I say things..."

"Maybe what you're expressing was latent. Because you're part of our family now, that means no secrets. Tell me what's going on."

"I...sigh, let me tell you a story. Before I found the bison in Laogai, before I stumbled upon the av—Aang, in that crystal prison, I was cautiously and casually living in Ba Sing Se, possibly before you even arrived. I'd seen Aang a few times, and veraciously resisted the urge to revert back to my old ways."

"...I see."

"Because of that, I started having nightmares. Vivid and sordid nightmares. Dreams that would make you scared to go to sleep. In effect, it gave me a fever, ferocious one too. My uncle said I was going through a...a transformation. A metamorphosis, he called it, specifically. This was a long and arduous process, one that could be stymied and immediately terminated if I'd just go find Azula and tell her who I found, and how he could be done in."

"...so you were tempted."

"Exactly. The reason I say that that spirit water saved me is because...in that moment, when your sister healed me, I realized something: all that I'd come to believe, all that I'd come to know about the other three...well, two nations, and the avatar himself, was just an evident and dogmatic lie. Imagine...imagine always being taught that the Fire Lord was descended from Heaven, and that his generals were an array of angels, and then, one day, having something question their morality, and their lack of mortality."

"That sounds...impossible, Zuko. I mean, how can anyone believe that simple human beings are demigods of some sort? There has to be _some_ sort of questioning involved."

"Think...think back to Ba Sing Se, the rows upon rows of Joo Dees you saw. Now think of that demonstrated on an even grander scale, one that spans half the globe, what the Fire Nation is currently in control of. Only, it's not conventional hypnosis: it's someone casually telling you over and over that this is the way that things are, and that it's always been like this. Imagine having nowhere to turn to for outside, or in the Fire Nation's case, 'deviant' information, and never being given impetus to pursue any of that actual raw fact? It's re- education, only, the Fire Nation gets you at birth, so that they can put whatever they want on your 'blank slate' and state it as fact. It's a totalitarian state, Sokka."

"That...really just opened my eyes. Thank you for that, Zuko. So...is any of that temptation still extant?"  
"...in primitive forms, yes. I realize that what I'm currently doing is the right thing, but that life of luxury, the seemingly carefree moments I used to share with my family...I have a yearning to return to that, and I feel that if I do so now, I will be welcomed back as-"

"-as a criminal. Think about it, you sided with us, the right choice. Because of that, the Fire Nation is going to emphatically hunt you, knowing that you are now working to turn the tide of the war, one of the most important conflicts in human history. Zuko, I'm not trying to convince you how to live your life, but if you go back now, you'll be lucky if you aren't killed the second you're spotted."

"I...I suppose you're right."

"'Course I am, bud! Anyway, we're going to have to get ready to ditch the ship. I'm looking through the telescope, and it seems to me that we're in flying distance of our Northern sister..."

"Everyone, get up! We're a little ways out from the Northern Water Tribe! Gather all of your belongings and stow them on Appa! Wake up, big guy!"

"RAHHHHH!"

"Momo, you too."

The colleagues quickly hoisted their items onto the back of the great sky bison, some anxious to see their relatives whom had only viewed them just three months prior.

"I'm feeling a little...ambivalent about seeing Master Pakku again."

"I don't blame you, the old sexist bastard..."

"It's not like you couldn't use a little work yourself, _tough guy_..."

"Hey! I've made improvements in the past couple months! You can't fault me for that..."

"I suppose not. Toph, here, let me help you."

"I can help myself, Bloody Hands. I _can_ metalbend, you know."

"You're just...ugh! Never call me that again!"

"Whatever you say, Inuwit."

"Alright, guys, get ready to explain Zuko to the locals. Katara, if you'd be so kind as to bodyguard our firebending friend for the time being, that'd be _splendid_."

"Hey! I don't need to be protected! I can defend myself..."

"The last thing we need is an icy temple in flames, melting at the seams, Zuko. Just let her do her job."

"_Just let her do her job_...why does that sound sexist, Sokka, especially when it comes from you?"

"Because you expect it from me, sis. Anyway, load up and get comforable. Yip yip!"

Appa immediately rises from the metal carrier, flying in the direction of the bustling town occupied by tribal individuals. In just a few minutes, the group is told where to land, and they oblige.

"Master Pakku! It's...good to see you again!"

"As I'd expect...I recognize this man. It's...why do you have a firebender with you?"

"Long story, too tired to explain. Anyway, he's a friend, but we've got some bad news."

"What is it?"

Almost as if on cue, Toph opens the body bag to reveal a deceased and famed Aang.

"...why have you come here? The avatar is dead! We can do nothing for you-"

"Would ya keep it down, gramps? You want the entire tribe to hear you?"

"..fine. Fine...but why did you come here? Did you expect us to be able to do something for the boy?"

"Anything akin to that. We not only need you to revive him, we need you to save all past avatars, and all that are to come."

"I thought it wasn't possible...how can the avatar be killed in his or her most powerful form?"

"By getting shot in the back with lightning, long story."

"You sound so upbeat about it...did _he_ do it?" Pakku accuses as he gestures at Zuko.  
"_No_, I didn't do it...what kind of a question is that, anyway? If I _did_ do it, I'd be in the Fire Nation, not in some primitive tribal town."

"Sokka, you trying to get us killed?"

"Sorry, sorry, slipped.

"I believe our medical unit can oblige Aang...please, though, don't let this happen again...there's no telling what could happen if an avatar is killed in this form a _second_ time. It might be enough to kill Raava herself..."

"Raava?" Sokka asks in with a quizzical face.

"Another story for another time. Give me the body, we'll go to the Spirit Oasis."

"I'm going too," Katara says furtively.

"Fair enough, come along, _little fledgling_."

Katara begins to make obscene gestures behind the back of the renowned master, following suit as they travel to the pond they wish to revive Aang in. Soon, they arrive at their destination.

"Because of your young hands, I'm going to use someone with a little more experience. One of the medics has been ordered to show herself in this very sacred area, something not many people, especially women, get the privilege to do in all of their lifetimes."

"Spare me the sexist splurge. Just revive my friend."

"Very well, child, give me her body," the medic states.

"The scar is on the back."

"Thank you."

"Never in my life did I think that I'd get to operate on _the avatar_...it truly is an honor."

It is a short, nominal, but emotionally painful process for the medic and Katara. Slowly but surely, Aang stirs just slightly, looking at the three people that have surrounded him, and then falls casually back asleep.

"It is done. Thank you for bringing him to me...?"

"It's Katara, from the Southern Water Tribe. You've no idea the magnitude of the act you've just committed, thank you for what you have done."

"I think I can guess..."

"If that's it, I'll be on my way."

"Katara, be careful. Especially with that firebender..."

"Don't worry, I will."

As if it were a reflex, Katara slightly moves Aang's body with her bloodbending. With that, she is on her way, delivering her body back onto the back of Appa, along with the rest of the group.

"...is he alive?" the entire group asks in tandem.

"Only just," Katara replies.

The congregation sighs in thankful relief, knowing that the world indeed has _not_ come to an end, at least, not yet. As they begin to fly back to the iron ship they'd just ascended from, they began to reflect on their entire journey thus far. Then, they realized: they have a man that was just brought back from the dead. An amazing feeling was garnered from that, one akin to hope.

"...what do we do now?" Zuko asks.

"We wait for him to wake up. There isn't going to be an invasion, and we need Aang to learn how to firebend. That's where you come in. That reminds me, your source of fire. It's been waning, and you told me why. That's the first thing we need to do; can't have a firebending avatar without a competent firebending teacher," Sokka replies.

"Is there anything we can do for the Earth Kingdom?" Toph queries.

"Not at the moment, no. I mean, we _could_ try to contact Bumi, but I don't know what good that'd do us. All we can tell him at this point is that there's going to be an eclipse in about a month or so. Other than that, we might as well get all our personal licks in before Aang wakes up, while also avoiding anyone who might want our heads on a silver platter."

"Which is half the planet."

"Correct. Always the sunshine in our storm, aren't you, Zuko?"

"I try, I try."

The night arrives quickly, and all descend to their bedrooms for the night; the ship is dormant, unmoving, completely secure, for the time being. As Zuko nodded off, he began to think about all the choices he'd made in the past few weeks, how they'd all been indirectly controlled by the eradication of his scar, the one icon that seemed to make him an interesting person. While thinking through this, he decided to pay Aang's room a visit; the atmosphere was cold and damp. The avatar wouldn't be waking from his posthumous slumber for a few weeks; the entire group would be lucky if he were in fighting shape by the time the comet came around.

Upon sitting next to Aang's near-lifeless body, Zuko began to reminisce, to console in Aang some of his fears, aspirations, and more.

"Your weakest possible form, and I'm not here to capture you. Would've been nice if you'd been like this when I was."

Zuko quickly thought about what he'd just said, and how treacherous that sounded to him.

"I—I mean, not that I'm trying to do that right now...it's just, wow, I've never seen you this weak."

In the back of his head, Zuko was yearning for, expecting a response out of Aang, one of which would be derived from mutual happiness and unstoppable energy. But no such reply followed. His body just laid there, almost untouched, without any extraneous bother.

"What am I doing...I'm talking to a would-be dead man, and yet I haven't felt this safe talking to anyone since the days before I was banished. It's just so...tempting. You know, because of you, I've been traveling this world for three years. You know what I've enjoyed? An entire transformation. Well...'enjoyed,' more like 'endured.' I've gone through hell for you, both on and off your side, and you won't even be able to defeat my father come the day you must. This has just been a sad display..."

Constantly, Zuko had to remind himself that he was talking to a vegetable, a human being currently incapable of offering any sentient or cohesive response to his broaching, questioning, and overall conversation.

"Well...it isn't your fault. It's my sister's, and she's bound to be coming here at this very moment, not for your body, but for me. I guess I truly know what it feels like to be you now, hunted, sought after, worthy and capable of being captured. And I'm here...because of my scar, or the lack of one, per se. But, I suppose all I can say is that...you need to wake up soon. You _need_ to. This world necessitates you, now more than ever. You _have_ to wake up, Aang. Please. Otherwise, my healing will have been for nothing... Wow, I feel like my entire life has been based on nothing..."


	5. The Mute

Chapter 5: The Mute

"My father and I have given you a task, one which I was and still am trusted with. You will aid me, but not in tandem. You will find the avatar's friends, as well as my brother, and end them. Word about their existence has already gotten out, so you have competition. Above all else, do not disappoint me. Understand?" Azula commands.

Sai nods in agreement. Before he can speak, Azula informs him of their last known whereabouts, stating that they were cited leaving Ba Sing Se in the northwestern direction. This is all the intelligence he will require; he sets out for his prey.

He boards a military ship heading for the mountains just above Ba Sing Se, knowing that if the avatar wishes to stay healthy, he will surely have visited an extremely spiritual venue, one _coincidentally_ akin to that of the Northern Water Tribe. The search begins.

On board, soldiers attempt to query him about what he is doing; he says nothing, only offering his third eye to show proof of just how dangerous and lethal he can be when provoked, or when he attempts to ascertain whether people think he is a firebender or not. Indeed, he is; he is one of the best alive, and will probably be the greatest for some time to come. Even without his firebending knowledge and skill, his body is built to withstand even the toughest of enemy combatants; he is a walking, not-talking, Fire Nation tank.

He will stop at nothing to acquire his target, especially knowing that if he indeed does kill those who he has his sights on, he will be heralded as a hero by all who hail to the Fire Nation, the greatest country on Earth, made greater by this one act.

Eventually, however, the constant stream of questions begins to annoy him.

"What's with the eye on your forehead? Never seen that on a firebender. The shaved head isn't very 'Fire Nation' either..._you're not the avatar, by any chance, are you?_" The soldier asks sarcastically, laughing at his own joke, chortling at a seemingly dead man's expense. Sai shakes his own head in the negative, informing his "companion" that he is indeed _not_ the avatar.

"Hell, wouldn't matter if you were. You'd still be able to kill everyone on this ship either way." Sai nods in agreement; apparently this commoner knows who and who not to aggravate.

"You're a big tough guy; you looking for the avatar?" Sai strategically ignores the question.

"Don't worry, I get it. Whether you are or you aren't, you just want people out of your business; precisely why I'm going to stick my nose in it." Again, Sai ignores him; the mute has a knack for telling one someone's words are empty or not.

"Come on, you can tell me what you're up to! If not, have a cold one, at least. Everyone on the ship's getting some..." The conversation is over. Sai will entertain the soldier no longer, and ignores him further. Eventually, the soldier receives the message, and finds someone else to bother.

Days pass, then weeks, and finally, the ship reaches its destination, the peak of the mainland of the Earth Kingdom. He can sense that his pray is near; he must keep looking. Then, he notices something a little out of the ordinary, peculiar, perhaps: a Fire Nation vessel parked behind the mountain range, where _no one would be able to see it without knowing it was there..._ Unfortunate for those that hid it, they didn't count on this man snooping around inconspicuous increments of the range.

Without hesitation, he enters the vessel, finding something very interesting to him: a bison and a flying lemur. Upon his entrance into the large auditorium that housed Appa and Momo, the two immediately retaliated against him. As soon as the incursion began, Sai bade a hasty retreat of the complex, exiting the ship. This was his resolution: wait for the members of the group to return to the ship, then shoot the ship, killing everyone inside.

This plan would've worked if he hadn't caught the attention of both the animals on the ship; upon his exiting of the metal vehicle, the other two slipped out about an hour later, aware that this man would be very calamitous if left unchecked. Fortunately for Sai, he saw the two exit the vessel, and shot as fast as he could at what would be the ship's engine.

Right on time, Appa and Momo ascended, evading the blast radius and flying to safety, instantaneously heading for the location of the mute. Sai began to run, aware of the task he'd just completed: leveling the vessel of the avatar, probably along with their food and resting source. He hid quickly, under the rocks of the mountain, narrowly escaping the capture of the two now agonized animals.

His job was not yet finished, however; he still had to find the members, and put them down. After a few hours of hiding, he exited the rocks, looking again at the smoldering wreckage of the boat he destroyed, as well as the firebenders that were investigating the blast. Sai inferred that they'd attribute it to nothing more than a fuel leak, and leave promptly; after all, they'd thought that Team Avatar would be smart not to simply sit around waiting for Fire Nation soldiers to ascertain their location. Appa and Momo were intelligent enough to wait behind and gather patience for the company's eventual leave; however, they were still roughly aware of Sai's proximity with respect to their human companions. They would be ever vigilant, without looking for their friends; they knew that Sai would use that against them.

Sometime later, the members of the group did arrive, and Toph was the one who saved them.

"INCOMING! GET DOWN!"

The blast was poignant and loud, enough to attract more than enough attention for the posse. They ran for cover, Sai following their movement.

"Who shot that?! ….what was that?!"

"Everyone needs to calm down. I know who this man is," Zuko says.

"Of course _you_ do...I bet all you firebenders gather around in a circle on Saturdays and come up with ways to get us killed!" Katara exclaims.

"You mean _Sundays_."

"Your humor isn't helping anyone, Zuko. That's my job!"

"Did all of you suddenly forget that someone's trying to kill us?! Brace for impact!" Toph yells.

"Okay, okay! His name is Sai."

"I don't care about his name! I care about how we can tear him a new one! Sokka screams.

"I can use my bloodbending in unison with Toph's earth!"  
"Won't that attract attention?" Zuko asks.

"Attention or detention. Your choice," Katara says stalwartly.

"Fair enough, do what you need to do."

As if they'd practiced beforehand, Katara and Toph quickly exit their earthen barricade and proceed to use their bending skills on Sai, slightly disabling him. Sai has been trained for these types of situations, and knows when he's outmatched. He leaves as quickly as he had come, plotting for his next bout with the group.

"We need to be more careful about who's tailing us next time...but Katara, I'm proud of you for becoming so lenient with your bloodbending," Zuko "compliments."

"You need to learn how to talk to people, Zuko," Katara says, Zuko latently realizing how that must've sounded.

"I'm sorry, did I fade from existence just then? I did work too!" Toph yells.

"Right, right, sorry! Good work, everyone."

"_Ahhh_, little Zuzu is becoming part of the team!" Katara teases.

"Don't call me that! I don't even let my sister call me that."

"Hopefully, you won't be in hearing distance for your sister to call you anything ever again..." Sokka says.

"You and me both, Sokka..."

As the congregation self-aggrandizes themselves for a job well done against the attacker, they resume their trek back to the ship; what they find is less than spectacular.

"Oh my...oh no..." Katara says.

"Well, the war's over! Should we turn ourselves into the Fire Nation now or later?" Sokka says, now depressed out of his mind.

"Shut up, Sokka! Now's not the time for talk like that. Did Appa and Momo make it out okay?" Zuko asks. As if on cue, the two beasts come out of the mountain range, and the mood is instantly lightened.

"That's nice and all, but all our food was on that ship...we'll need to make another trip to the store. Oh yeah, a new vehicle is in order as well..." Sokka laments.

"I'm not made of money, Sokka! We'll need to steal some or something..." Zuko says.

"This is quite the bind, is it not? I guess we'll have to resort to that, not like we haven't before."

"Sigh...if we must...but you know how I feel about this," Katara says, sadly.

"Do it for Twinkle Toes. We need to be alive to fight a war."

"Okay, just do me this. Before we go scavenging for food and money again, let me take another ship. We can ransack their goods so that way, we'll be harming foot soldiers, not innocent clerks just trying to feed their families," Katara commands.

"Fair enough. Let's all load up on Appa. Yip yip!"

In a sort of Deja Vu, the group descends on yet another ship; if they do this again, it will be more difficult to commit acts such as these a third time. The Fire Nation will be _ready_.

"Okay, ship's clear. Let's descend."

"It's our lucky day...they've still got food aboard! Of course, we'll have to go into town in a few days, but they've left money all over the ship!" Sokka says joyfully.

"Just make sure this one doesn't get blown up..." Toph states.

"Okay, here's my plan for that. We have a land group, and a sea group. Two people get to stay aboard the TAS Aang, and the rest keep a lookout for any hostiles!" Sokka suggests.

"How about we just keep a firm watch on board? That works just as well, as Toph is probably the best when it comes to sensing people on board, while we'll handle the ocular part. Sound good?" Katara asks.

"But, but mine's more convoluted..."

"Making it harder to execute. Let's just stick with my plan."

"...alright..."


	6. Preparation

Chapter 6: Preparation

Sai's, or rather "Combustion Man's" attack, as coined by Sokka after meeting him, traumatized the entire congregation. They knew that they wouldn't be able to stay in their current location; thankfully, they'd made no such plans prior to the event. Their original plan was to wander the world aimlessly until Aang returned, almost as if the avatar was the only one who could give them direction. At many points throughout Sokka's revealing of this plan to the rest, the others criticized his lack of actual solid scheduling.

Strange enough as it was, the only reason they'd been able to evade the brunt of the attack in the first place was because of the fact that they needed new supplies; already stocked that day, they became greedy for Zuko's money, choosing to invest it into more food parcels, as well as more fuel. This didn't matter to the man holding the money, though; Zuko had a plan in mind, especially in light of his lackluster firebending skills.

"If we can't stay here, I know just the place to go to."

"And what would that be, _captain_?" Toph asked.

"My uncle always talked about having slain the last dragon on Earth. Our relationship, being...kindred, he shared with me a very interesting piece of info back in Ba Sing Se..."

"Zuko, just get to the point. We don't have time for the pleasantries," Katara said.

"Well, he told me the location of the last few dragons, telling me that they lived with these firebending masters in harmony; neither spill each other's blood."

"What does that mean? Stop being vague. Okay, so dragon's are alive, and there's this Fire Tribe just lurking around somewhere. I'm guessing you want to learn firebending from _them?_"

"...it's worth a shot! Besides, they're the original source—"

"Pray tell, where are these 'firebending masters' you speak of? Let me guess, Fire Nation territory!" Sokka states.

"As luck would have it, these guys aren't located on the island where the capital is. It's...a few hundred miles north, but they've been hidden for hundreds of years."

"Well, isn't that lucky! And I suppose we'll just waltz into the place and ask nicely for their assistance!" Sokka says sarcastically.

"Let's think about this...if they've been 'hidden' for as long as you say they have...what's keeping them concealed?" Toph asks methodically.

"I don't know and I don't care. I need to get their help, one way or another. If not, I hear Hell is lovely during the fall!"

"I suppose we don't—wait, Jeong Jeong!" Katara suggests.

"The former general? You can get _his_ help?"

"Well, we don't know where he is..._and the last time we saw him, he was deep within the Earth Kingdom mainland..._"

"So he's out of the question. Way too dangerous to go there. Let's get into the ship and set sail. Aang'll be waking up in a few days, anyway."

Like clockwork, the entire team loaded all the supplies they'd need for the long trip to the land of the Sun Warriors, "firebending masters" being a mere colloquial name. In a couple weeks time, they'd arrive at their destination, hoping for a lesson or two.

"So, where're the hermits we're looking for?" Katara asks cynically.

"Well, if you didn't get the memo, they're _hidden_. The look of the place is pretty geriatric, probably what they'd want you to think-" As Zuko stepped forward, he accidentally triggered a booby trap in the floor, revealing metal spikes that lined the few meters in front of them.

"So _that's_ how they keep this place so covert..." Sokka says.

"Let me handle the booby traps here, guys. I'll see them hours before any of you even realize what you're walking into..."

"_You're such a badass, Toph..._" Katara says jokingly.

"No problem, cream puff. Anyway, there are ten pitfalls along this trail; I'll lead you through each one, but I'm not sensing any movement throughout the temple."

Gingerly, the group moved themselves through the gauntlet of traps, gawking at the handiwork that must've gone into procuring each of the ensnares. At the end of the gauntlet, they arrived at a dome room. A golden egg was perched in the center, and Zuko started towards it, Toph pulling him back.

"Zuko, you of all people should know that a golden egg laid at the end of treacherous quagmires means it's just another ploy in it of itself. Haven't you watched any plays, pretty boy?"

"Where do you guys come up with all these nicknames..."

"After acting like nomadic hobos for half a year, you begin to do it reflexively," Sokka says in "a matter of fact" fashion.

"Good thing this entire fiasco should be over in a month...anyway, what's the trap now?"

"Tons of a gelatinous substance below us. My guess is that it'll fill the room and suffocate us. But...we need to draw the masters out, so...I have an idea."

Resourcefully, Toph moved everyone, including herself, outside of the room, preparing to knock the egg slightly with her earthbending skills. As she'd predicted, the doors to the spherical complex closed, and the glue started to proffer from the insides of the building.

To assess the situation, she earthbended the group all around the building, attempting to find any points of visual access so as to know what the tribal men would be looking for upon checking the booby trap for any unsightly visitors.

"Bars at the top, and I was right. I can feel the gooey stuff below my feet. You guys should thank me more often for saving your lives a billion times over."

"You know what, Toph? I think you're right. Thank you," Katara says genuinely.

"Toph...am I really that dim-witted?" Zuko asks seriously.

"Asking that question and formerly trying to catch a 12-year-old kid to no avail is like asking if you're bad at math and not being able to do basic addition."

"Point taken..."

"Hey, you asked."

"So...we wait?" Sokka asks.

"Not like we haven't done it before...I swear, guys, sometimes I feel like my old life would be more lively than this one, and we travel the world on the last flying bison on Earth..."

"I can't imagine you saying that when you were captured by two earthbending yuppies back in Ba Sing Se..." Sokka said condescendingly.

As if it was prophesied, Toph's plan came to fruition. On the horizon, a few tribal men were coming to inspect the trap; needless to say, they were pleased upon knowing that the trap had gone off, displeased to find that no one had fallen into the trap.

"We have hostiles! Fire Nation soldiers, probably!"

"Sir, we mean no harm!" Zuko yells.

Automatically, one of the Sun Warriors fired at Zuko, the latter dodging each of the firey blows. Peacefully, the rest of the congregation revealed themselves.

"If you truly mean no harm, lay down your weapons and subject yourself to capture!"

"I hope you know what you're doing, Zuko..."

"Not like you haven't been close to death before..."

Gradually, the group, now imprisoned by the very teachers they sought after, traveled throughout the obsolete settlement, being gawked at by each of the members of the tribe. Immediately, the chief Sun Warrior queried why they'd come here.

"If your reason for being here is in anyway hostile to our way of life, you will be put to death on the spot. Proceed."

"Sir, we come here for my sake, for my rejuvenation in the firebending arts. I require this to teach the avatar."

"And how do we know that you aren't using it for any other purpose?"

"Because you have the avatar's body in your possession right now."

"That's impossible. The avatar hasn't been seen for a hundred years, most likely killed in the avatar state to ensure that no further avatars may succeed him."

"Well, sir, you're half-right. This young avatar, Aang, _was_ killed in the avatar state. Because of this, he cannot enter that form; he is barely alive, inside the body bag you now have."

"Bring me the body bag."

As the chief opened the bag, horror engulfed his usually calm face. The avatar was between life and death, teetering on a spiritual spectrum. In that moment, the chief knew that Zuko was speaking the truth, and nothing but the truth.

"Summon Ran and Shaw. We must teach this young one the true nature of firebending!"

What followed suit amused the three remaining members of the team; Zuko, in their eyes, was taught a "dance" that would restore his firebending powers. Embarrassing thought it was, by the end of the routine and ceremony, Zuko's firebending was optimized at a level that he'd never thought possible for himself. Instead of drawing his fire from anger and rage, he would instead draw it from the breath, and on an emotional spectrum, from serenity and focus.

The sixteen-year-old rogue prince had finally gotten his sacred ability back, more powerful than ever, possibly enough to face Azula herself. This would definitely do to teach Aang; he'd also be able to teach him the redirection technique that Iroh taught him!

"This is soot," the chief said, feeling his fingertips.

"_What did you say_?_" _Sokka asked, stressed.

"Soot, look. I haven't seen this in over fifty years-"

"We have to leave _now_," Sokka said, the others agreeing in unison.

"...why? It's probably just the smoke from Ran. It'll clear up. Besides, I can't let you leave...you'd tell the entire world about our existence!"

"We won't be around to tell anyone! The Fire Nation is here!" Zuko screams.

"The soot! Of course! Battle stations, all of you! Won't you stay and help us?"

Altruism was getting the better of both Sokka and Katara, even knowing that Azula and Sai could possibly be on the mainland at this very second. Instead of abandoning the tribal men, as Aang would've abhorred, they decided to stay, they decided to fight.

"Playing right into our hands, Sai. Nothing leaves this island until I get four bodies, all deceased. Thank you for informing the capital. Do you understand?" Sai nods. This time, Team Avatar will not escape.


	7. The Siege of the Western Isles

Chapter 7: The Siege of the Western Isles

The day reminded Sokka of a calamity seen only five months ago, something he hoped he'd never have to see again. The soot blackened the sky much like any Fire Nation invasion would; he didn't have to guess who was leading it. It was because of that that staying behind and helping the primitive Sun Warriors was risky at best; if the group was lucky, they'd escape on Appa, hopefully with the entire team intact. That inkling was beyond quixotic, though; Azula emitted a type of aura when she was after you, that feeling that you'd never be able to escape, the atmosphere telling you that she would never stop until she completed her goal, whether she wanted you dead or captured. Most of the time, even if she only wanted you captured, you'd end up dead anyway.

"The more I think about this, Katara, the more I know that leaving these people would help them a lot more than fighting with them," Sokka laments.

"If we just worked off of a system of cutting our losses, Sokka, we wouldn't be here right now. These people require our help, and we're going to give them what they need! If we don't, we might as well join the Fire Nation's ranks."

"Sigh...how about you guys?"

"If the Sun Warriors die, all that firebenders will have to learn off of is the rhetoric spouted by my father. I don't need a new generation of citizens acting like that."

"Running away is all we do. Let's change that."

"Fair enough...but the one thing we absolutely cannot do is lose Aang's body. I'll keep watch over it, you guys help defend the tribal people. If it gets too hot, we leave, no questions asked. Understand?" Sokka states. The others nod in agreement.

"For Aang!" Katara screams.

The air remains quiet; then, it happens. Fireballs begin dropping out of the sky, lobbed by the Fire Nation ships now surrounding the Western Isles. Anything and everything foreign to the rule of the imperialistic country will be eradicated with extreme prejudice so as to obliterate any hostiles, especially the four that now reside with the Sun Warriors. As the fireballs drop, Katara uses her water as well as the surrounding fluid to put out the flaming rocks; Zuko attempts to derive any fire he can from the ensuing rocks, keeping the villagers safe.

As all of this is happening, the Sun Warriors begin to work in tandem with the two remaining dragons, and head even further west to deal with the back fleet that is controlling the exit of the island. The team notices this, and begin retreating along with them, until the villagers partition some of their soldiers to fight alongside Team Avatar. As all of this is happening, the congregation glimpses the leaders of the fleet: Sai and Azula.

"We have to go! Both of the leaders are _unfathomably _dangerous; they can kill us right now!" Zuko's words ring true. As he finishes his sentence, "Combustion Man" fires a powerful bolt into the tip of the cliff on which the team is standing on; the only thing that saves them is Toph's skill in earthbending.

As this is happening, however, Azula decides to skip the pleasantries and rocket forward with her blue fire, coming extremely close to her brother, himself now in her crosshairs. May and Ty Lee follow.

"Sorry to cut this family reunion short, Zuzu!"As she says this, she conjures up lightning, and attempts to shoot Zuko in the chest with this, just yards away from him. Toph, again, saves the committee, and takes them to a safer location, farther back in the temple. The four members of the Fire Nation continue their onslaught, incapacitating any Sun Warrior they find.

"How you doin', _cutee?_" Ty Lee asks.

"Away, now!" Sokka yells.

"This is getting way too hot! Where are Appa and Momo?!" Toph yells. Just as she requests their assistance, both of the animals come rocketing out of the sky, ready to assist their friends.

"We don't leave yet! Not until we've repelled the invasion!" Zuko screams.

"We said no questions asked..." Katara says melancholy.

"Katara, you of all people would rush to those that are helpless. They still need us!"

"And if we die, we won't be helping anyone. Escape now, fight another day!"

"Katara..."

"Zuko, I appreciate the sentiment; believe me, if we could, we would help these people escape to the other side of the world. But this sounds like nothing more than wishful thinking."

"If we leave them now, we'll have a generation of firebenders modeled right after my father!"

"Why do you keep saying that? The Fire Nation has been a totalitarian kingdom for a century; half-naked warriors isolated from the rest of the world weren't going to change that," Sokka states logically.

"I don't know what to say..." Zuko laments.

"Say nothing. We need to get to the back of the island. I think we can get away there," Toph says.

Faster and faster still, Toph sends the outfit to the back of the land mass, perched by the following Appa and Momo.

"We hold the line here. If things get too dangerous, we're getting out," Sokka states.

"I've heard that before..." Toph says.

"This time, _I mean it," _Sokka replies, looking straight at Zuko.

The contingent continues to incapacitate oncoming soldiers as the Fire Nation closes in on their position, Azula and Sai coming with them. Just as the two are about to close in on their position, the two dragons fighting westward leave their post to protect the group, saving the avatar in the process.

"Get out of here while you still can! We will give our lives for the spirits!" Ran, the blue dragon yells.

Executing these orders, the group loads onto Appa, and they begin to ascend rapidly into the air. Both Azula and Sai see this, but are occupied by the two dragons, subsequently killing them, at the cost of what seemed to be more than a hundred soldiers.

The last two dragons now deceased, Zuko blamed himself, namely his stupidity, Toph chiming in.

"If we'd just gotten out of there—" Toph is cut off by Zuko.

"—We would have Sai, Azula, May, _and_ Ty Lee on our tail. Because of their sacrifice, and my stupidity...we made it out in one piece."

"'One piece.' We can't find another ship, not unless we enter the closest territory out there. I didn't want it to come to this...but we need to go to the Fire Nation," Sokka says.

"Two of the most deadly commanders the world has to offer are from this country you're talking about, and you want to _go to it?_" Toph asks, disillusioned.

"Hey, it's our only choice. They'd never expect us to go there...we'll just ascend a few more hundred meters, hover over the land mass, and settle down somewhere discreet, somewhere far away from the capital. They'd never expect it!"

"You know what I wasn't expecting? What just happened. I'm willing to expect and guarantee anything at this point, since 'Team Avatar' seems to have worse luck than what is caused when a black bear-cat walks across your path..." Toph says depressingly.

"If you've got another location we can go to that's within the general vicinity, I'd love to hear it. The Fire Nation is the closest thing we have. We're going."

"If we get captured, don't blame me..."

"Yeah, that reminds me, _how did they find us?_" Katara asks.

"What do you mean 'How did they find us?' Sai probably followed us and tipped Azula off," Zuko maintains.

"Fire Nation's too far away for an entire fleet to get here in a day," Katara states logically.

"Then that must mean...that my sister was on Ember Island! It makes so much sense, it's in pretty close proximity to where we are."

"And you didn't bother to tell us this because...?"

"Because my sister isn't the type to take vacations, especially when she's got wanted war criminals to round up. It was a mistake, I'm sorry."

"You know, you make _a lot_ of mistakes...but I guess I should expect that from the person who couldn't catch a twelve-year-old boy and his two cronies."

"Katara, why do you always have it out for me? What did I ever do to you?"

"You're _seriously_ asking that?"

"Well...what have I done to you _lately?_"

"How about essentially destroying the hopes of saving the world just because of your _whittle_ scar?"

"How could I have known that that was going to happen to Aang?"

"I...I'm just so angry that I failed! All of us failed! _We_ killed Aang! Azula just helped! This is all my fault! I'm the reason this world is going to go up in flames! I shouldn't have been so stupid!"

For the rest of the ride to the small port town in the Fire Nation, Katara just remained quiet, sobbing at her one decision, her one mistake. "_If I'd just used my head, Aang would be here right now, awake, ready to fight along with us. Why did I ever use it on Zuko?_" Her thoughts ran deeper, hurting her more and more. "_Why did I ever resolve to use my spirit water on someone who'd be trying to kill us for the past sixth months? Why did I even accept him when he started to be sentimental? Why didn't I just retaliate?_" She couldn't think about it any longer, and later, she fell asleep. It was best that she be left alone during the entire process, and the rest of the group understood that, Zuko especially.

Zuko's case was in many ways as detrimental as Katara's. He was starting to have thoughts, dark thoughts, suicidal thoughts. Everything he seemed to get muddled in, he ended up ruining. He couldn't catch Aang, he couldn't take care of his uncle, he couldn't even save one person when it mattered most. In his eyes, and in his mind, probably others', he was a failure, a misstep, someone who should've never been born.

The only reason he had for being alive now was the fact that he had to train the avatar; after that, what else? He had chosen his path, and he surmised that he made the right choice, but in that moment, he thought to himself, what if Katara hadn't put that water on my scar? What if it hadn't healed? Would I have joined Azula? Would his new friends be better off if he'd just taken the other side, or succumbed to death entirely? Some of these questions, he was sure he had the answer to. Perhaps, he did.

"We're going to start descending...is everyone okay?" Momo replied joyfully, as did Appa.

"A-Okay, Ace," Toph said.

"Stop trying to be cool, that's my job," Sokka retorted.

"You don't do your job very well."

"You want to go?"

"Try me, non-bender."

"Katara, Zuko, you okay?" No answer.

"Both of you, wake up. Sokka says we're approaching our destination."

"Shut up!" Katara and Sokka yell in unison.

"Just what we need, two moody teenagers..."

They grounded; upon this discovery, the entire group set up camp and marched into town, donning whatever cloaks they could find before scavenging for food.

"Any money, or do we need to steal?" Sokka asked. Zuko quickly whipped out his money, hoping to get the purchasing over with. He'd had enough of that day, enough of the group in general. He just needed to think for a while, get his thoughts collected, much like Katara needed to as well.

Katara went to check on Aang as soon as she could.

"I hope you'll be ready soon..."

Aang groaned in pain.

"Your grunts are enough for me for now...I'm just overjoyed you're alive. Please, wake up soon, won't you?"

More grunting.

As Katara was tending to Aang's wounds, Sokka decided to consult Zuko over how he'd been feeling during the latter part of the day.

"What's going on? Don't lie to me."

"It's just..."

"Just what? You've been a buzzkill from day one. This has to stop, it's killing the morale of the entire team."

"It's just that I'm useless!"

"...what?"

"This entire time, all I've been is a liability! Don't deny it, you think that too!"

"Zuko...if things were that way, we would've dropped you off where you'd be safe and been on our way. We need you, you know that."

"Just to teach the avatar and then to go die in a hole, right? Because that's all I'm good for!"

"I didn't said anything..."

"But you're thinking it!"

"Maybe _you're_ thinking it."

"...yeah...maybe."

"What's this inferiority complex you've got going on? I've noticed it ever since the first day we met."

"The _first_ day? The South Pole? Am I really that obvious?"

"Your tough guy act proves a little conspicuous, yes."

"...you can guess where my inadequacy comes from. I come from a family of great people, and look at me. I'm a hermit, traveling the world as a criminal. We could be captured the very next day, we won't know until then. Things always used to be so sure..."

"Back when you were the Fire Lord's kid? I actually imagined that being something kind've like hell."

"It...it had its moments. He wasn't a...terrible guy, well, obviously, he was a bad father. He was selfish, loathsome, I don't know why I wanted him to like me."

"Because you didn't like you."

"...I think you're right.

"And what do you mean by things being so 'sure?'"

"I think you know what I mean. Knowing where your next meal is going to come from. Having a home. Not having to fight a war."

"But you've always been fighting the war, you were just fighting it on a father-son front. Look, I know how it feels not to have a father, both proverbially and tangibly. I understand."

"_You_ understand having an abusive parent always telling you how much less you are than your sister?"

"Well, no...I always took care of Katara."

"...seriously? It seems like she runs the group when we're not talking about scheduling and stuff like that."

"She was pretty helpless before she had to face you."

"...I had that effect on her? Wow..."

"Well, having a bloodthirsty firebender checking every nook and cranny for you and your friends can make people like that."

"Sokka...I'm sorry. For everything. For all that I've done to you. For all that I've done to this world."

"You said sorry the minute you joined us. I forgave you that day."

"...thank you, Sokka. You know...I think this is the first time I've ever been truly accepted for who I really was."

"I don't know, I think that May girl kinda likes you."

"Ah, May...I hope we can still be together after the war."

"Wishful thinking, Z, wishful thinking."

"You know what? I think I'll let you call me that."

"That reminds me. I want you to talk to my sister. I think you're the only one that can really console her at this point. She just seems so...damaged."

"Sure thing, Sokka. Thank you for talking."

"Anytime, teammate!"

As the discussion ended, Katara exited Aang's tent, venturing back to her bed. Zuko followed.

"What do _you_ want?"

"To get an understanding. If we're going to survive as a group, we need to have camaraderie between each other. This animosity between us has to stop."

"I suppose you're right..."

"So, tell me what's bothering you."

"You already know."

"You're angry at me for how Aang's doing."

"...no. To be honest, I'm a bit angry at myself."

"Why?"

"Why do you ask questions you already know the answer to?"

"I'm not a telepath. Just say it."

"Fine. I'm angry at myself for how stupid I was, how stupid I was when I healed you with my spirit water. _My spirit water_, something sacred from the Northern Water Tribe, a place you attacked—"

"-I didn't attack it. In fact, I was nearly killed there by the person who tried to take the place."

"I learn new things every day about you, let's hope that one of the things I learn isn't detrimental to your image."

"Neither do I—"

"-Let me finish; when I used it on you, I was a helpless little girl."

"You didn't seem so helpless when we sparred back at the tribe."

"You were a stupid teenage boy fighting someone in their own element, both figuratively and physically. Let me tell you something. I am not the stupid, kindred little girl that you met nine months ago. I am strong, I am smart, and I am lethal."

"Where is this going?"

"If you hurt _any_ member of the group, or attempt to hurt anyone in _any way_, _especially_ Aang, I will do something irrevocable, without any second thoughts, without any consideration of the repercussions. Do you understand?"

"Again with this! Why can't you just accept me as part of the team?! Things would go so much easier if you just calmed down and stopped labeling me as the enemy! I. Am. On. Your. Side! How many more times do I need to spell it out to you? It's not like I've betrayed your trust!"

"And you'd do well not to start. This was a warning; tomorrow, we can get comfortable with each other. For now, you sleep in your tent, and I'll sleep in mine. Good night."

Zuko, subsequently exiting the tent, emits the loudest possible shriek of annoyance he can possibly muster. This night has been a double-edged sword for him.


	8. Gaining an Understanding

Chapter 8: Gaining an Understanding

"Decided to take you up on your offer for a talk today."

"Zuko...I apologize for my behavior towards you lately. It was immature and uncalled for."

"Is this a test?"

"No, but thanks for giving me that idea. I suppose you passed!"

"Is it okay if you explain to me why you've been angry so lately, especially at me? I think I know; I just want it confirmed."

"Well...like I said yesterday, I wasn't so much mad at you, well, maybe a little...I was mad at me, for being so careless."

"Well...your carelessness bought me a nice disguise, at the very least."

"Aang's going to wake up soon; I'll feel better when he does. I suppose I did give you a nice concealing factor."

"You've also repaired some emotional wounds, along with the rest of the team, of course."

"I'm glad to hear that. Again, my source of conflict comes from the fact that Aang would probably be awake right now if I hadn't done it. But, he'll be awake again anyway. I suppose it doesn't matter much."

"He won't be able to fight the Father Lord—I mean Fire Lord, my father, whatever. But yeah, I don't have enough time to teach him, and you said it yourself: he can't go into the avatar state. He'll be a sitting duck if he strikes."

"You're right...but we still need to fight the Fire Lord come the day of. And we only have about twenty days until the comet arrives."

"Which is why I want to find my uncle."

"...are you kidding? That's incredibly risky! We don't even know where he is!"

"But we can find someone who does."

"Who...oh." The both of them say it in unison. "June."

Before they can go and tell the others, however, they see a sightly figure, one of which they hadn't seen in more than two months: Aang himself.

"Aang...is that you? _Are you awake?_"

"...where am I? Where are we? And why is _he_ here? Where's my glider?"

"I'll answer your questions all at once! We're in Fire Nation territory-"

"-We are?! Are we preparing for the invasion? Is Zuko helping us?" Aang's eyes fill with glee.

"Sadly, no..."

"Then what could we be here for? I feel like it's only been a few days...and being trapped in the iceberg felt like a few days too..."

"I suppose I should tell you...you've been asleep for almost two and a half months."

"..._**what?**_" Aang had to do a double-take. He couldn't fathom it. _Two months_. And his brain instantly made the connection: there was little time until the comet was to come.

"Oh no, this is bad, this is _really bad_..."

"Aang, calm down, we realize the severity of the situation. Specifically, it's September 1st. We have twenty days," Zuko states.

"What are we going to do?! The invasion either failed or never happened, soldiers were either captured or never rallied, I haven't been learning firebending; how could this possibly get any worse?!"

"We're aware of the fact that we don't have much of a plan either...we were basically thinking that you'd learn firebending and defeat my father after the comet."

"Oh, this is bad, this is terrible...do we even know what's going to happen the day the comet comes?"

"Unfortunately, no."

Upon hearing this, Aang becomes more depressed than ever, easily losing hope and destroying any morale that the two members of the team once had.

"The war is over."

"Aang, it isn't," Katara consoles. "We have _you_."

"_What good is an avatar that can't even go into the avatar state, let alone bend all four elements?!_ The Fire Nation has won! They won when they took Ba Sing Se. They won when I abandoned the people that needed my help. They won when they found out all they were going to have to worry about was a twelve-year-old boy with a possible hyperactive disorder!"

"Aang, don't say that. Everything is going to be fine! We're all here, aren't we?"

"Aang, nice to see you again!" Sokka says.

"Finally awake, Twinkle Toes," Toph states.

"Don't call me that! This is no time for games! I've been asleep for two and a half months, and the comet is twenty days away! We might as well deliver ourselves to the Fire Nation!"

"We won't have to do that. I have a plan," Zuko says, calming everyone except Aang down.

"Why didn't you say that before? And I don't mean to be rude, but why was I out for over one sixth of the year?!"

"Because the spirit water I wanted to use to revive you was used on...someone else." Aang quickly looks around at whoever else could've possibly utilized the spirit water as much as he could've. Then, he recognizes the lack of a scar on Zuko's face; apparently, the prince's "disguise" served him to no avail. "We'll recount the events of what happened later. Right now, we have to listen to Zuko."

"Okay, Aang, you're in no shape to fight my father."

"I realize that."

"Because of that, we have to find someone who can. And who's good at finding people?" The rest of the group replies in unison, akin to what Katara and Zuko did. "June!"

"And how are we going to find _her?_"

"We'll have to travel to the Earth Kingdom mainland."

"And avoid Fire Nation troops while we're at it."

"The land we'll be traveling to won't be heavily fortified. It's just miles and miles of grasslands that the Fire Nation won't deem important. The most significant landmark in that vicinity is Omashu-"

"Bumi!"

"Suki! We're not saving everyone we want to save, Aang. We just need your...?"

"Uncle Iroh."

"Uncle Iroh. Aang, I promise, once the war is over, we'll find Bumi, we'll find Suki, we'll find everyone we need and want."

"I understand."

"So, here's the plan. We leave the Fire Nation tonight; hopefully, Appa will be fast enough to make the trip in a day or two. We have the supplies."

"You can do it, buddy!" Aang says as he caresses Appa, petting Momo at the same time.

"If everyone's agreed on this plan, let's load up and set out!" Sokka proclaims.

"Sorry about your glider, Aang. It got burnt to a crisp by a man we like to call..." Katara starts the sentence.

"Combustion Man! Or Sai, I like Combustion Man better." Sokka says.

Seamlessly, the group works in tandem to push all of their gear and items onto the flying bison, Aang taking the helm for the first time in months.

"It's good to be back..."

"Aang, don't push yourself. You're still very weak from the revival; it's likely that you'll require healing sessions along the way. We land as soon as we see neutral grounds."

"That'll be tough...Sokka and I can switch shifts with him. Oh yeah, and Aang; once you're okay again, we're pounding away at the firebending, no ifs, ands, or buts. Understand?"

"Sure, Sifu Hothead!"

"Another nickname..."

The group set out, Appa flying at unprecedented speeds, acceleration surprising even himself. In his own mind, he was ecstatic to see his best friend walking and talking again; this probably provided the impetus needed to make the trip to the mainland in just six hours.

"I've never flown that fast in my entire life..." Toph says.

"We'll set up camp here-" Katara is cut off.

"-Do we need to? I'd much rather just reach the tavern tonight than waste time. She may move around."

"If you were able to guess that she was located in a smelly Earth Kingdom tavern in the first place, I don't think she'll be going very far."

"Good point, but what if we're being tailed? We've had the bad habit of assuming not, and having it bite us on the ass later..."

"An even better point made by you, Zuko...do we need to stay here?"

"I'll be fine," Aang says heartily.

"I'm not the one who got shot in the back by Azula," Sokka says half-comedically.

"I can only see with my feet, so I'd rather see with my feet in a place that matters."

"Fair enough. Nevermind."

"Wait, Appa, are you okay with this?" Appa replies whole-heartedly, ready to make a thousand journeys of this caliber. They were going to find June, and they were going to do it within the receding day.

Flying continued, and Sokka and Zuko maintained their promise of switching shifts.

"Catch me up to speed?"

"Sure. Well...it's been a whirlwind. We had to get you revived as soon as possible, so we went to the Northern Water Tribe, that went pretty well. Then we got to the mountain range just northwest to Ba Sing Se..."

"Your tone doesn't sound inviting."

"Wasn't fun...got introduced to Combustion Man."

"Will we see him again?"

"Knowing how adamant all these paid killers are, probably."

"'Fun.'"

'Oh, definitely. Then we started wandering around aimlessly...we did it pretty well, had a lot of supplies, like we do now. Then we had to worry about Zuko..."

"What happened with him?"

"Well...he lost his bending for a short time."

"Wow, seriously?"

"Well, not fully...but what he showed after his turning to our side wasn't...impressive."

"What happened?"

"We visited the Sun Warriors, got to witness the last two dragons in existence."

"Your tone doesn't sound appealing there, either."

"Because she came."

"Who's she?"

"Need I say more?"

"Oh...her...anyone else?"

"'Combustion Man' and her two cronies. Other stuff happened there too, stuff I wouldn't like to go into right now."

"It's okay. How have all of you been? I was sort've in a coma there...really missed all of you. And Zuko's on board! That's awesome, I have a firebending teacher!"

"It's been good. Zuko and I have had our...issues, mostly caused by me, but it's meh. I think we're starting to get along."

"It brings joy to my heart to know that we're all making peace. About what I said earlier today...I didn't mean it, at least, now I don't. I really think we have a chance. All we have to do is stick together, trust each other."

"Yeah...I think you're right. You know what? You are. We're going to get through this. To Team Avatar!"

"To Team Avatar!" All reply at once.

It was the beginning of the morning, and Appa showed no sign of slowing down. They'd made it; in front of them was the tavern they'd sought after. In there, June would hold the key to the entire world's salvation.

"Oh, look, it's Prince Pouty, and he's friends with his prisoner now. Stockholm Syndrome must be nice this time of year."

"It, and the rest of the world won't be around much longer if you don't help us."

"My my, aren't we giddy?"

"You want giddy? I'll give you giddy! This world is coming to an end in nineteen days if we don't find my uncle!"

"What uncle? You mean your creepy grandpa?"

"...yes."

"What's in it for me?"

"I'm sorry, did you just tune into the conversation? _Life_ is what's in it for you if you do this for me? That's not a threat, and I won't perpetrate the murder. The Fire Nation will in a couple of weeks."

"Point taken, point taken...scent?"

"...right here."

"I'll get Nyla, good sample."

The rivalry kindled between Nyla and Appa was still ever-fearsome. It took both Aang and June to calm their animosity down.

"She's got a scent. Follow."

The group loaded onto the bison and proceeded to track Nyla. They were going at breakneck speeds, but it was worth it. In a few hours, they'd get a hold of the one man that could save this world.

Further and further still; the caravan did spot the occasional Fire Nation soldier company; they even got to see some battles between some earthbending and firebending factions; they were a spectacle, to say the least, even if people were dying. The team made sure to stay energized; anything could happen on the way, and it looked as if they were venturing to Ba Sing Se, hopefully not inside it.

"Here's your stop. If the world does end up going belly-over, I'm coming for you, pretty boy."

"Noted." And just like that, June was gone, a whisper, a memory.

"So your uncle's here? I bet he's going to be so proud of you..." Katara says.

"I...I made the right choice."

"Indeed, _you did_."

As the congregation ventured inside the settlement bordering the outskirts of Ba Sing Se, a ring of fire surrounded them, followed by a familiar face: Jeong Jeong.

"Master Jeong Jeong!"

"Pakku!"

"Bumi!"

"Who's the other guy next to you? He doesn't look like a bender."

"This is Master Piandao, expert at sword combat," Pakku informs.

"It is nice to meet you all..." Piandao greets.

"Wow...it feels like everyone's had a master but me. I need something more than my boomerang..."

"Now isn't the time for self-pity, Sokka. We've got a war to win!" Katara prods.

The group is lead inside to the main camp, and Zuko instantly remembers why all the old men were wearing tunics: the White Lotus.

"Your uncle is in the main tent at the end of the corridor," Piandao states.

"Thank you, sir."

Zuko slowly approaches the cotton tent, ready to face his uncle with admiration and respect. This is reciprocated by his geriatric uncle...upon his awakening, a few hours later.

"It is nice to hear from you again."

"It's nice to hear from you too. Now, turn around and let it be nice to _see_ you again." The two embrace each other with a hearty hug, tears gushing from Zuko's uncle, causing Zuko to weep as well.

"You cannot fathom the immensity of the pride I feel for you, my nephew...I am so proud of you!"

"I feel the same way about you...it is truly good to see you again, Uncle. I've missed you."

"Have you taught the avatar any firebending yet?"

"Unfortunately, no...he just woke up today."

"What do you mean?"

"This is the first time he's been truly awake since Azula shot him."

"Oh no..."

"And this is why I came to you."

"You...want me to defeat the Fire Lord for him?"

"It's the only way to win the war. Aang will never be ready to face him this year, let alone this month in his current condition."

"I appreciate the sentiment, my nephew, but you must understand that merely defeating the Fire Lord will not cause the Fire Nation itself to relent. In fact, if I do such a thing, it'll just be seen as a brother killing a brother, nothing more, nothing less. Besides, I'm not even sure if I _could_ best him, let alone kill him."

"Uncle, you are our only choice, our last resort-"

"I am sorry, my nephew, but you will have to find someone else. Have...have faith in the avatar. If you train him enough, if you wait long enough, you will see that the results ring true. If the war does not end nineteen days from now, perhaps it will sometime after. Besides, I already have plans for what I am to do that day."

"...what?"

"We plan to retake the city of Ba Sing Se and use it as a staging ground for a new rebel syndicate made in the form of the White Lotus."

"That...that could work for us! What if we were to help you there?"

"That would definitely be a great help. Tell your friends and see what they think."

"Uncle has come up with a wondrous idea."

"What is it?" Aang asks.

"The White Lotus, his organization, was already planning the siege of the city we're outside of. They're saying that they want to use it as a staging area for a rebel group made in their group's image. Ba Sing Se is easily defendable...if we were to take it, we could reinvigorate the war effort!"

"What about him fighting the Fire Lord?"

"He argued very well...stating that he probably wouldn't be able to defeat him, although I tend to disagree..."

"Get to the point, why won't he do it?"

"Because taking out one man won't disarm the entire country."

"You're—he's right...well, I have no better alternative. What do you guys think?" The band agrees with the motion, and decide to wait until the day of Sozin's Comet to make their strike on the landmark city.


	9. Sozin's Comet

Chapter 9: Sozin's Comet

Ignorance and apathy, two elements that many debate about over which one is worse. On this day, ignorance definitely won out. Rallying the troops to his cause, Fire Lord Ozai denominated himself the "Phoenix King" on this day, and commanded that Azula become Fire Lord, her coronation taking place at sunset. Team Avatar and its associates wouldn't be aware of what would transpire this day until after it happens, making it all the more painful and harrowing.

"Today is the day, my friends. We will siege Ba Sing Se, we will take the city, and we will fight the war from there. Do not fear, destiny is with us today. _I know it._," Uncle Iroh maintains.

"The Fire Nation is bound to have plans for what they're going to use the comet for...does anyone know?" Katara asks.

"...if anyone knew, we would know by now, someone would've said something," Zuko states.

"Then I guess we all hope what they do isn't too catastrophic..."

"It isn't time to worry about that. We _have_ to have this city. It's the only way."

"I suppose you're right."

The sky began turning a bright, firey red, almost blood color. Once this started to take place, the seniors of the White Lotus gathered around Iroh, Team Avatar not far behind. Bumi raised the ground up from under him, creating an earthen pedestal; once this was done, Iroh began revving his fire, preparing to create a giant hole in the now weakened walls of Ba Sing Se. Once the fire was large enough, he sent it at the barricade, immediately destroying it, and Bumi pushing the rock forward.

Once all of this was done, the two groups, now melded into one, started protecting the senior firebender, all of this being done as they entered the city. Aang himself had learned a small amount of firebending, as well as how to redirect lightning, from the man who created, Iroh. Because of this, even in his still weakened state, he was able to use enhanced firebending techniques, providing extraordinary results.

As soon as the congregation was inside the city, they all went their separate ways, except for Aang and Katara, who resolved to stay together on account of Aang's condition. Within hours, the potent faction managed to take control of the city, earthbender rebels joining their cause. As long as they were able to get the message out about the rebellion that the White Lotus was fomenting, they had a chance at defeating the Fire Nation. Everything was going swimmingly, until Pakku, Aang, and Katara lost something very precious to them. As soon as they realized what was happening, they looked up at the moon: grey as can be, much like what they saw at the North Pole just half a year ago; only, this was reformed. They could all sense it; _both_ fish in the Spirit Oasis were dead, not just the one.

Without thinking any further, the entire outfit decided to meet in Iroh's former tea shop.

"Oh no...no, they couldn't have. They wouldn't; the Water Tribes have left them alone for decades, just trying to protect their land...the tribes _must_ still be in existence!" Katara yelled in disbelief.

"...I...I can't even suppose something like this happening. They...they actually did it. They used Sozin's Comet to wipe out the Water Tribes. We're...the last waterbenders on Earth."

"You're telling me...that my people just did to the Water Tribe what they did to Aang's people a hundred years ago?"

"I...I need to rest. My god..."

"Aang, that can't be true! Try to waterbend right now! ...go into the avatar state!"

"You know I can't! ...they actually did it! Two peoples, now gone! I...I fail, every time! Not just the airbenders now, the waterbenders too! I'm the worst avatar to have ever existed! I should kill myself right now and wait for the replacement!"

"I'm not sure there'll be another avatar if you die, Aang...and don't say stuff like that! We need you! You're the reason we can still fight!"

"If I'm the reason you can still fight the Fire Nation, what was the point of fighting the war these last hundred years?! Why all the death and destruction! If I'd just been there, none of this would be happening. I could stop all those people from dying!"

"Aang, you're not omnipotent! We need to calm down and think—"

"None of you understand the position this has put me in! I'm the avatar, so I bear the responsibility! Millions of people...dead because of me! I can't even bend all four elements anymore! It isn't possible!"

"Well, at least we know what we're supposed to do now. We have to retake the the Northern Water Tribe, then the Southern. Once word of our victory in Ba Sing Se gets out, other pockets of revolutionaries will reveal themselves to us. We just have to be patient," Sokka calmly says.

"And for what? So more people can die because of some ruthless firebenders? I've said it before and I'll say it again. They've won! Azula and her friends are probably coming here right now to ameliorate the situation! We're all going to die!"

"Enough, Aang! Pessimistic thinking will get us nowhere but six feet under. I do indeed believe that an extra fleet is being sent out to retake the city. We'll destroy it, we have the means. Besides, word's probably gotten out about this attack. People will think that the Fire Nation is weak, and because of that, they'll fight with us. We will make the Fire Nation know our name: the Order of the White Lotus," Iroh states.

Days pass, and the waterbenders attempt to no avail to use their hereditary skill. The more they try, the more depressed they become, to the point where they all just go to bed, and more days pass. Aang has thoughts, thoughts akin to Zuko's, and they begin to fester, despite the fact that the avatar may not return if he is to die. The cycle has truly been broken this time, and the only thing that will fix it is the revival of the two fish in that oasis, miles away from their current location.

It probably wouldn't matter if the entirety of the crew attacked the Northern Water Tribe anyway; the bodies of the two koi fish were probably disintegrated on account of the great amount of fire conveyed by the northern fleet. The infinitesimal chances of actually winning this war were finally starting to way down on Aang's kindred upbeat spirit. At this point, in his eyes, the world was beyond help, beyond repair, beyond the avatar. It would take more than the avatar state to fix the status of things going on around the planet. He could see it: one hundred more years of war, probably followed by dozens of power struggles in the Fire Nation, leading to an era of warring states, one with more death and bloodshed than the current war would ever offer.

The world was ending, and there was little Aang could do. Would it matter if he was alive or not? What good was he if he couldn't even enter a form through which so many avatars have remedied situations? Would bending three elements be enough to stop the ruthless Fire Nation? All of these questions and more were racing in his mind, all of which he didn't seem to have an answer to, and if he did, he preferred not to answer the question at all, for the properties of his answer would be even more distressing. Even so, the following day would not accept his melancholic demeanor; it was October 1st, and the remedial fleet had arrived, led by the usual suspects, and someone even more problematic: the Phoenix King himself.

"Prepare, rebels! The fleet is here! Battle stations!" Iroh commands. Prepared, the entire crew, no longer called Team Avatar, by the White Lotus, slowly spool out of their battlements, ready to fight. Instead of using waterbending, Pakku and Katara instead took up sword-fighting, as well as various forms of hand-to-hand combat. Both of them would learn how to fight from the remaining Kyoshi Warriors that had arrived to supplement the White Lotus' forces. It having been only ten days, however, their fighting was still lackluster at best.

"Water felt so much nicer..."

"It'll be okay. Soon, we'll have our waterbending back. I promise," Aang consoles.

"Everyone, hide! We'll need to use guerrilla tactics if we want to repel the attack!" Iroh communicates to the rebel group.

The ships approached the fortified position, all eyes protruding from the military blimps scanning the area for possible hostiles. Once the fleet completely covered the city in its shadow, troops started being dispatched from the ground. Once this started happening, bolts of fire came from the firebenders in the rebel company, earthbenders following with their huge rocks and boulders, all coming from the southwest increment of the city. Following guerrilla strategy, the other four quadrants of the city chose to stay dormant until otherwise notified.

Once they southwest fighters were done with their onslaught, the northwest began to fire, the southwest hiding underground through secret passages that had been created by the Dai Li before the Fire Nation incursion. Dai Li agents were sent from the Fire Nation airships in quick succession to add another layer of girth to the Fire Nation's battle strategy. Because of this, the northwestern fighters subsided, hiding underground, soon to be met by Dai Li agents and peripheral firebenders, all of which they would dispatch on account of the fact that the sub-terrain had been altered ever so slightly by the new occupants of the city. Just as this happened, the southeastern section of the city began sending surface-to-air debris at the oncoming ships; because of the maelstrom of objects hitting the airships at critical points, many started being downed, creating large craters in their wake. The commanders of the battle knew they had to do something.

"Azula, take Sai and your friends and neutralize the center of the city. It's probably where they'll keep the higher-ups."

"Father, what if they're located underground?"

"Do as I say! Go!"

The powerful company descended to ground level, where they met only bombs disguised as people. Sai and Azula being firebenders, they were easily able to evade the oncoming destruction; because of the agility of the other two, May and Ty Lee, the explosives didn't prove to be much of a problem to them either.

"Father may have commanded us to come down here to inspect the land. However, since I am the only commander now in the vicinity, I order the three of you to inspect the three locations that have been firing at the airships. I will take on the fourth; if they do indeed go under the land, follow them and kill whoever you can." "Kill" was not a word Ty Lee was used to hearing; she was finally on the front lines of the war, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. Instead of killing, she resolved to disable her opponents. May would not be so forgiving.

The crew had their objectives; if any of them were to find anyone of interest, they were to kill that person on sight, no second thoughts. Sai took the northwest, finding absolutely nothing there. Because he was girded by strong metal parts placed all over his body, he moved slowly, hindering his search effort; however, he was able to fire at the ground. This action successfully created a gaping hole within it, allowing him to enter. Upon his entrance into the underground lair, he was greeted by two earthbenders who immediately attempted to restrain him; he responded in kind by using his combustion ability and leveling the entire segment of the catacombs he was now venturing through. Because of this, his exploration of the caves was stymied; he would take note of that and be sure to use his unique ability only in times of great stress.

He pressed forth, finding multiple rebels that he either choked to death with his powerful iron limb, or chose to burn alive via his firebending skills. He was a ruthless murderer, only stopped by one thing: interference with his unique practice. Ubiquitous amounts of debris began to fall where he stood, prompting him to keep a level head and put even more regulations on the times at which he was allowed to use his combustion ability. The ensuing rebel companies would not allow for this; they continuously rocked him with their earthbending abilities; even some rebel firebenders joined in the fray; it was at this point that he allowed himself to use his keen avenue of destruction, creating more fragments in his vicinity. Utilizing greater guerrilla strategy, a rebel snuck up behind him with a knife, reflexively forcing him to use the combustion capability, at point-blank range. They would both die, but the more important belligerent would be going on, while a common soldier would be giving his life for the freedom of the world.

Ty Lee's story was a little less tragic; she was assigned to the northeastern region of the battle, one compartment of which had remained docile for the time being. This made infiltration complicated due to the fact that soldiers were still hiding on ground-level; for Ty Lee, however, this meant more fun, more people to fight. She started by disabling five rebel soldiers in quick succession, being careful not to alert other increments of the section to her aggression. The next house went down much the same way, but the third house was a different story. As soon as she entered it, the complex was barricaded by Earth; she realized that the blind earthbender had found her.

"Your footsteps remind me a lot of Twinkle Toes...I don't like being reminded of him, especially since he was dead for two months."

"Come on out and fight me like a real woman!"

"'Fraid not. You had a hand in incapacitating my friend. Now I'm gonna do the same to you." The earth beneath Ty Lee started moving up, the ceiling coming closer to the floor. It didn't take her long to realize that Toph was going to crush her unless she could do something about it. Lucky for her, May and Ty Lee were ones never to be separated. May knew that her friend would get in some sort of trouble, so she decided to tail her to keep her safe. Because of this, the southwestern portion of the rebel fighters was left relatively untouched.

"You don't let my friend go, your pain is going to be ten times longer than hers." May stuck a knife under Toph's throat; she wasn't kidding.

"May, you came for me?! ...thank you! But what about your part of the city?"

"It can wait, especially since you almost ate it over here."

"I would've been fine! I always am!" And in that moment, May let her guard done, allowing Toph to restrain her, momentarily stopping the enclosure of the walls of the house. This allowed Ty Lee to weaken the stone girding, allowing her to breath, right before Toph bored a hole into the wall, placing both of them back in, restraining them.

"Two Fire Nation sluts instead of one. That'll do. You know, May, is it? Zuko talks about you. Talks about you a lot."

"Give him back you prepubescent asshole! You stole him from me!"

"He came to us of his own accord, good thing too. The world can't survive while the Fire Nation still exists like this."

"...I know."

"Half-expected you to agree. I mean, who on Earth would agree with the invasion and genocide of not one, but _two _peoples?"

"If you let us go, we'll fight for you."

"I'm guessing you guys are good liars, since I don't feel any vibrations below my feet. Anyway, this is a bit rushed, switching sides like you are."

"We promise! We just want to live!"

"You'll probably die on our side anyway. You're not fooling anyone."

"If you truly want to be sure...bring Zuko to us."

"And risk his death in battle? Already one person playing with fire here, no pun intended, and that's me. We don't need two crucial soldiers lost."

"If you bring Zuko, he'll be able to decipher whether we truly want to defect or not. Besides, who _wouldn't_ want to fight the Fire Nation after they massacred to nations now? It's just the earthbenders and us. And besides that, if Zuko finds out that you killed us, his friends since childhood, he won't be happy, possibly unhappy enough to return to us."

"And get killed. Fine, five minutes. If he isn't here by then, both of you die instantly. Understand?" The two captives shake their head. With expert precision and skill, Toph begins to earthbend a message into the ceiling of the underground base where Zuko is located. He heeds his orders and comes to Toph's location. The anticipation makes the pair of Fire Nation soldiers sweat profusely, along with the small stone holding they're placed in. Finally, they hear a voice, _Zuko's_ voice. Upon seeing his face, May realizes the emotional mistake she's made, and immediately ignores his presence.

"May, Ty Lee...is that you in there?" Zuko asks.

"Tell me if they're lying about joining our side or not. They're wanted criminals in my eye, and I'd have no problem killing them. They've been a threat since day one."

"It's us, Zuko! Convince the crazy blind girl to let us out!" Ty Lee yells.

"May...are you there?" Silence.

"May...I know that the choices I've been making in the past have been...unorthodox." More silence.

"But I want you to know that all those decisions have been completely justified. _Both_ of you fight for an evil cause, one which seeks to destroy the entire spirituality and freedom of the world. You can tell, the Fire Nation is a totalitarian, authoritarian state. It cannot be allowed to rule the greater world; in fact, its government needs to be neutralized as quickly as possible."

"Why should we listen to _you?_ You're a traitor, or if not, you're indecisive. You've failed at every single thing you've done in your short pathetic life so far; what makes you think you'll succeed with this?" Zuko begins to sob slightly. May's words sting, not only because of who it's coming from, and its general animosity, but because he believes that most of what was just said is completely _true_.

"I know that! I know that all—"

"Zuko, please, decide. We don't have time for this."

"Go ahead and kill us! I'd rather die fighting for a country that at least knows what it's going to do tomorrow than for a ragtag team of fighters that don't know where their next meal is going to come from."

"May...be quiet...I actually like life. And Zuko...has a point."

"Fine then, kill me, let her live. I can't stand the thought of being next to a traitor all-live-long day, both of you."

"May...do you care for the Fire Nation? Or are you just mad that I've made the correct decision?"

"You've always been a self-righteous douchebag, you know that?"

"If you truly do care for our country, you'll see why I'm trying to reason with you..."

"...fine! Maybe I _do_ think that what the Fire Nation does is wrong. But I'm still loyal to it."

"Like being loyal to a father that beats and berates you every day for just being you. Please, May, come." And in that moment, May realized that her logic was defeated; she sincerely didn't have a reason for fighting for a genocidal race of warmongers other than the fact that she greatly feared one of her best "friends," Azula.

"Zuko...I'm scared."

"Not the time to be. Which is it going to be, _princess_?"

"I'll...alright. But you have to protect us from Azula. Please, she'll torture all of us if you don't."

"I'm aware. Letting you out."

"I'll be with you every step of the way, okay, May?" Zuko says with a smile.

"I...I sort've trust you."

"That's a start."

"It'll have to do, too. I think Azula and her armada are aware of the current camaraderie," Toph says wittingly.

With excessive force, the fleet begin their raid on the entire eastern portion of Ba Sing Se, Azula choosing to fire at the new rebels May and Ty Lee for betraying her.

"Death is too merciful a punishment for the treachery you've just dealt against the Fire Nation! You will burn in hellfire for this!" Zuko begins to fire at Azula first, Toph following, and then May and Ty Lee. All of them surround her, Toph almost having her with her earthbending skill. Azula strategically evades, sending maelstroms of fire down at them, almost as if Sozin's Comet had returned that very day. The newly formed congregation dodges gracefully, Azula choosing to take her newfound anger out on her own brother.

"If I'm out two friends, I might as well be out a brother, too." Just as she said that, she shot a deadly bolt of lightning from two of her fingertips, immediately striking Zuko in the chest. Just as this was done, she attempted to evade the punches of Ty Lee, albeit haphazardly, resulting in the nullification of her bending.

"Don't go any further...what's your name?" Toph asks.

"Ty Lee!"

"Ty Lee, don't hurt her anymore. We need her for questioning." Ty Lee did as she was told, and the battle continued; now, the northeastern portion of the city was attacking, galvanizing the other sections into action to finish off the fleet. Ozai knew he had made his mark; the entire city-state was leveled by the time the attack had ended, and he'd lost two commanders, one of which was dead. Because of this, he strategically yielded to fight another day; the rebels had taken some heavy hits, loosing over a thousand of their own ranks, while the Fire Nation had been smart and only brought about that to man the fleet and send paratroopers in to cause further destruction.

Azula looked on while her father left her, perplexed at how Ty Lee had ignored the fact that one of her childhood friends had suddenly become injured; she marveled at her former friend's tenacity and resolve before threatening all of them with the might of the Fire Nation.

"Ty, is it okay if I call you that?"

"Sure!"

"Ty, make sure her nerves stay dead, we're going to take her underground."

"Alright!"

"You made the right choice. Fighting for freedom n' all. I know that sounds corny, but we need it more than ever now. Especially with how Twinkle Toes has been acting in the past few weeks."

"Twinkle Toes?" May asks.

"The avatar, sorry. I call him that for personal reasons. Just ignore it."


End file.
